Night Changes
by IncompleteWithoutLife
Summary: It's a change, one stealthy and filled with the deception of delight. Senior year and Jade has more than enough time to reflect on the whirlwind of emotions a particular brunette instills within her. Or whereas it's senior year and time is running out for the goth to own up to her reputation and disregard her fear of the future. Heavily Jori Centric.
1. Chapter 1

_**Been a while, it's a little rusty.**_

* * *

"Dark and broody is a cute look on you,"

She shouldn't at all be surpried he's the one to find her. Pale fingers gently wrapped around the small bud that's left of the white and orange stick, take a moment to lightly flick the forehead that's too close into her personal space. The Canadian descendent isn't fazed by the action, and let's himself fall limp on the step next to her. Instead of scolding him for the disturbance the clad in black teen persistently tries to ignore his presence. It's silent, at least as silent as the moment can be during the bustling of the flourishing carnival. The dark skies above does nothing to deter the excitement of a few children dragging equally enthusiastic parents, or demolish the few stray groups of teens shenanigans, it doesn't seem to bother the elderly couple walking around supporting whimsical grins by the front of its collar. She's quite lucky to have found a secluded staircase by an abandoned rollercoaster that's done being puked on for the day. Her luck seems to have run out two hours later seeing as the fluffy haired boy has found her. She was skilled to have evaded her makeshift group of friends for so long; it's a new record.

"You know she hates it when you smoke."

The both of them don't even question as to who the 'she' is. It would take much effort in deciding to narrow the long list of who 'she' is, only to find that the quest was simply too stupid to burden themselves with. Maybe it's the defiance of wanting to stir trouble, it might very well be the surrounding stress of the fast approaching end of senior year. Either way she doesn't care. Without much thought into exactly why she decided to flick another cigarette in between her lips.

"She was looking for you earlier, but Cat dragged her away to play some game. Made me promise her I'd find you before she got back."

She doesn't miss his failed attempt to make eye contact.

"I don't think I asked."

There's a lie hidden underneath the bored expression, leaking through that uninterested tone. It's just something that neither of them acknowledge. She doesn't mind in the slightest that her nerves start to bubble in side of her as she tries to intake the black air. She takes to staring up at the endless stream of stars, darkness, and hint of the full moon peaking from behind one of the metal bars holding up the structure. Of course she tries to squash conversation between them with her moody silence.

"It's not working." He mutters lowly.

The double meaning never falls def to her ears. With minimal effort she expresses her discontent with a glare of pure annoyance. Beck throws her a long frown that all too soon turns into a knowing nod of encouragement.

"Look when we broke things off neither of us were happy—" He frowns at the soft huff of disagreement.

"But it was needed. We couldn't go on and ignore the dysfunction relationship forever. Time will always win. It's August, and as much as we all hate to admit it. This year will pass by within a blink of an eye and all too soon it will be graduation. Who knows what will happen come next year, just don't let heartbreak be at the top of the list. The clock is ticking for the both of you."

Her throat closes up and for a moment she revels in the fact that it isn't because of the smoke entering her wind pipe incorrectly. More so due to the idea that while she hates to admit it, but he is right. The slow eating thing that has been the cause of the double mounting stress has been due to time. How while she loves wasting as much as she can, it doesn't help the predicament she has found herself in. That maybe she shouldn't be sitting alone consciously trying to spite the brunette that is the cause of her smoking habit. Or that she cannot blame said brunette when she has done nothing but given her opportunities to seize the hourglass sand from running thin. She just hates that the misery of being content of being alone is her own doing.

"I don't care."

Suddenly the rush of the polluted air entering her lungs isn't so good, because there's a brown haired senior staring at the both of them through saddened eyes concealed by a quivering smile. Of course only the dark haired teen notices this, and Beck simply beams at the new intruder. With one foot grounded into the dirt beneath it, and her fingers still curled around the cigarette she grounds her jaw. There is no doubt in her mind that the midly younger girl had heard the entire conversation. The striking jolt of guilt shooting through her doesn't simmer the oncoming excitement of seeing the brunette. Her chest rises with an almost unnoticeable extra beat of adrenaline. She watches. Waits for the inevitable forgiveness she doesn't deserve. Beck speaks, but doesn't turn back to the goth until he's midway of being engulfed into the few stragglers of people. It's then she notices that a lot of time has passed since Beck had come to her. In fact she would say that it's close to being the ends day for the carnival. With a last effort ditch of avoiding the brown that's so full of life, and kindness Jade stands.

"Hey," She wants to puke up the cotton candy Cat made her inhale today by the overbearing sweetness of the voice.

She nods a greeting, flicking her gaze to the brown eyes that's shinning with a warmth that starts a fire inside the pit of her stomach.

"So you've been here the entire time."

It's a lame attempt to cover up the hurt lingering. So Jade does her best to make the situation better. She sends a desperate apology through azure eyes she's sure turned icy blue with how cold she feels with guilt. Tori simply nods and tries to keep eye contact as she lets her gaze fall to the ground. Truthfully she doesn't want to say that she's happy when a pair of feet blindside her line of vision, and gentle fingers remove the cigarette from her lips.

"Are...Are you okay?" Jade frowns, because they both know the answer, but she lies anyway.

"I'm fine."

And yet Tori sends her a nod and an expression filled with too much concern for the moody teen.

"You're smoking again. I doubt that you're just fine."

There's a lagging moment where they have one of their infamous staring contests. This one being the one that's snuck up on them only ending of their junior year. One filled with understanding, familiarity, and fueled by the one thing only one of them cannot fall into without denial of the future. Having a hint of shame of being able to hold the warm stare without bursting into ferocious flames. Jade choses to blink away the moment, and demolish any recovery between them. Yet she wants to sooth the girls worries. Make them disappear with a false hope that they both know won't come true unless the tension between them is settled properly.

"I'll stop."

A blunt lie.

Tori smiles shortly and nods again, letting their fingers become entangled within the other.

"You promised to win me something today if I managed to get Robbie to leave Rex at home. Do I still get that cute little husky I saw earlier?"

She doesn't exactly know how to respond to that.

"Y—...Yeah." With a dumb nod they're off to god knows where before meeting the group for a late dinner at some new Japanese restaurant.

Free from the darkness of the corner she was within she's now able to see the various lights bounding off of the soft brown hair, and the bright light soaking up the sun that is the carefree smile of the girl. She wants to gut herself and unleash all of the mushy soft things that has bubbled inside of her stomach. Letting her eyes fall to the locked hands in front of her as Tori takes the lead, she is not fast enough to stop the smile breaking onto her lips.

* * *

"Woah, nice to see you've made yourself comfortable." The dry humor cracks a grin onto the younger Vega's lips, and she doesn't stop the small smile spreading onto her own features.

"Yeah well you're the one who decided to get me roped into detention again. So of course I'll further torture you with my presence by asking for a ride home."

Tori slings a leg over the black bike with excitement as her eyes to bound over the ignition to the handles, the dark glass preventing her from doing so. With a smirk and half lived glare Jade ignores the twisted churning of her own stomach at the sight of the helmet weighing down the head of the girl. Her mind screams to simply snapshot the image and have it framed for the secret photo album sitting underneath her bed. She doesn't. The sadness of ever looking back at the photo later on winning the war with the want to do so.

"Didn't know demanding was a new form of asking politely," She hears a laugh, and fails to become irritated by the sound like she used to two years ago.

"Would you have agreed if I had asked nicely?"

Yes would have been the answer either way.

"Who said I agreed?"

A scoff of disagreement is heard and she chuckles at this.

There isn't much protest rather more so a gleeful squeal when she lets one of her legs fall on to the other side of the motorcycle. Her fingers are just about the rev the engine a few times just to feel the vibrations that sooth her. She's near close to doing so when she feels a warm hand stop her. The mild frustration is short lived before she peers around and squints to see the jaw locked and angered expression of her companion. Cutting off the engine she sighs, because she now knows what the issue is. She wants to find the worry of the girl annoying, but she can't help but find it slightly endearing.

"Where's you're helmet?" Shrugging she licks her lips.

"I only have one, and you're wearing it."

It's a short and snippy reply and she frowns when the arms around her waist are quickly removed. Getting off of the bike just in time to notice the heavy head gear being thrusted into her arms, she blinks at the lean figure standing before her. The unwavering frown being thrown her way makes her shift a tad bit uncomfortably.

"Vega, your house is only a few miles away. I can deal with not having a helmet for a few minutes."

"You're not driving me home Jade."

How she knows that she would be on the end of a rare scowl, she can say it's a lucky guess.

Yet it's the complete opposite. They have known each other for the better part of nearing three years. From the beginning the connection was hanging by a line so thin and fragile that it hadn't occurred to them they understood the other on a level no one else could. There's an almost bitter taste of just how fast they had realized consciously that they needed each other. She could detect when she had to seek out the young Vega for a personal reason, she could not tell how deep her drive and need for the girl went. Neither of them understood the potential of their relationship two years ago; they still don't. Only now are they aware of how much time has passed, and how they can read the reaction of the other almost instantly — even before the situation played through. Two different personalities and still they managed to create a bond that can only be severed by the other.

It amazes her sometimes. How quick time had flown by without concern of how they would feel in the long run of the time lost. If she were to be honest with herself, she would never say just how much she regrets not being able to spend time with the brunette without all of the rude comments. To be able to speak to about things that weren't so personal to either of them. Yes their relationship has blossomed and isn't based on the false hatred from her end, and trying to please Jade on Tori's end, but still. She wishes she hadn't been so caught up in pushing the girl away instead of trying to build up the bond marked between them — Frowning at herself she can feel her left eyebrow starting to twitch, because of the disappointment at herself for upsetting the brunette. Sighing, she sets the helmet back in the placement compartment and steps a few feet closer towards the tanned teen.

"Alright then we'll walk—" Her hand goes up immediately to stop the protest she knows that's coming.

"You're not walking home alone Vega, I'll come back for the bike. And just because I know you will want to repay your debt. I'm starving so you can make me a sandwich when we get to your house as payment, so how about we save the argument and get going."

The late grin she gets in reply is reward enough in exchange for the guilt for the disturbance of the brown haired girl. They're walking within a close proximity; very close, to the point where their hands are constantly brushing against each other with every step. Honestly they don't mind their shoulders bumping together, or how their warmth is enough with the cold chill of the crisp fall air. By a few silent minutes into the walk her hands are shoved into her leather jacket and she wants nothing more than to snatch the tanned one swinging carelessly between them, but she doesn't. She can't. It's not her place. So she sticks to keeping her eyes locked on the ground and trying to count the leaves she steps on with dramatic force. Tori is humming a soft tune lowly and she cracks a smile once she recognizes it as one of the rock songs she had played when driving the brunette home last Tuesday.

"Despite everything we've been through these past few years, you know you've been quite sweet lately." She doesn't look up to meet the grin that's being thrown her way.

She stays silent. There's something that's been on her mind as of late, and it's been eating at her cynically — Well as cynical as she can think of something can be. Still. It's not settling well with her without knowing where or what the brunette plans to be after school ends. She hates thinking that even if she tried she won't be able to have the girl in her life nearly everyday. It's painful she thinks. To be so aloof from what could possibly happen between now and graduation that could somehow mess with the dynamic of the group. She's been trying to keep the thoughts of the future as far away from her mind as long as she can, but it always ends the same. With the thoughts of the brunette swirling inside her brain; taking over every train of thought. The topic of what Tori would do after senior year has come up on numerous occasions, and she has been there to listen and be informed. It's just that everytime the conversation flow switches to that topic she leaves abruptly. So now she is the one asking instead of running from one of the inevitable answers.

"After graduation — I mean what's going to happen afterwards?"

It's an unspoken question before and after. _'What's going to happen to_ _ **them**_ _after graduation.'_ Tori can hear the question regardless...She knows this. Usually she's straight forward and hates tip toeing around the obvious issue, but this is different. The first and one thing that truly terrifies her, something that petrified her the moment the thought struck her.

"Mason dropped my contract because I wanted to focus on college. He said that while thinking about education is good, there could be a potential star out there waiting to be discovered while I'm too busy with getting a degree..."

Her hands bawl into a fist and she's glad Tori can't see the deep glare she's directing towards the ground. She's admitted to the pure talent that the girl has on a few occasions, but that doesn't take away the many others where she has spoken to herself about the potential Tori has. The graying haired old man may not see it, but she sure as well can, and she won't allow the brunette to not know how amazing she truly is.

"He's an asshole who apparently doesn't know the business. You're not so bad at singing, and your acting isn't puke worthy. So I'd say for him to drop you because you want to go to college is pretty shitty. I knew he was an idiot from the beginning—"

"But he's still right Jade. I couldn't really expect him to try and make something of me when I'm in school, with a busy schedule. We both know how hectic college life can be. Really I'm fine with it. It's even more stress off of my shoulders. On the brightside I got accepted into UCLA..."

Her lips curl into a meek smile, but it doesn't overshadow the pride she feels for her companion. Nodding slowly she lifts her gaze not at all surprised to see a pair of brown eyes already staring at her with so much depth that she wants to believe she looks at Tori the exact same way. As much as she wishes to go to the same school as the brunette she thinks that the chances may be slim. She got accepted into a few colleges and UCLA being one of them, but she has already chosen. She picked NYU and was able to get into the tisch school of arts. With one of the best film programs in the country and she could never pass up that opportunity. It's a once in a lifetime chance...Even if Victoria Vega is a once in a lifetime opportunity. She hasn't told anyone, not even Tori, but she wants to wait. See the future that her friends have chosen before she reveals hers. Not as bad as she—She wants to see what Tori has chosen.

"But I mean it's a long shot, but I sent an application for Juilliard...I may not get in, but what's the point in not trying at all. You only get one chance in life. So why bother trying to spare yourself from the disappointment rather than brace yourself for the reality of everything."

She can't help but stare in wonder at the impeccable beauty of the girl. Not the outward appearance, yes the features of the brunette were gorgeous, but she couldn't bare to try and understand just how deep the mannerisms of the girls brain worked. It seemed almost effortless how quick she could defuse the wreckage of a situation, or how fast paced her problem solving could be. Or how Tori could simply read a person and decide just what it took to console someone who was distraught. Maybe it was another form of a sixth sense that Tori had acquired through the years. Either way the trait was a symbol of the girl; A sort of feature that stood out above the others. Her mind was utterly too beautiful to try and understand, to study. There is no doubt in her mind that if one were to crack open the mind of the brunette there would be a spew of mazes so complicated only to have a simplistic path that would be so obvious, but hard to find...In a manner Jade valued every moment when the brunette unconsciously let the trait shine through tenfold.

"You'll get in,"

It wasn't just the pure hope of wanting to be attending school within the same area of the brunette. No. The honest reply is due to the sheer knowledge of how bright the brunette is. A broad smile is sent her way, and it takes a second for her to realize that they've stopped walking and are questionably closer than usual for just friends. That's the thing. They both know that for a while now they've been more than just friends, but something much stronger and everything less of a couple. They're okay with that though. At least Jade knows she is fine with the relationship status of: Friends. For now.

"I'm not sure if you being unusually sweet is a something I should be concerned about, or completely try to make the most of this and take advantage of your sudden change of heart and get the most out of it before you go back to being a consistent jerk."

"Whatever Vega, I'm not doing this for your benefit. This is a sort of a redemption, you know for all the times I've given you hell over the years. To make amends so that the terrible shit I have done to you in the past doesn't comeback and bite me in my ass."

Tori nods, a firm grin held in place.

"So this has everything to do with you wanting to secure yourself on karmas' forgiven list and nothing to do with you not wanting to admit that you've been so nice to me because you're more fond of me than anybody else?"

She blinks furiously.

Too stunned to even make or take anything from the comment. In an instant the baffled expression of raised eyebrows and parted lips is completely wiped off of her face. She stares at the silent brunette waiting for a response, and for a moment she lets the girl have this argument. Lets them have a millisecond of a not so friendly moment, more so of a time frame of intimacy. Her eyes are soft, too soft, and she knows this, because her mouth is lifted into a smile reserved for these far too constant moments with her fellow senior. It's worth it being able to be on the receiving end of such a gorgeous smile, and so much warmth shinning through those big brown eyes full of compassion. But time goes on, and the future always wins against the present. So she schools her expression once again and her lips curve into the familiar smirk, before she breaks eye contact to look at a lone Saturday afternoon jogger. Clearing her throat, Jade does the most in character thing to do. She destroys the moment.

"Sure you're alright to talk to, but being fond of something is very different from being able to stand in your presence for a few minutes without snapping from boredom."

Tori is able to shield her discontent by glancing away, before she lightly shoves the black haired teens shoulder playfully.

"I'm assuming time is up?"

She pauses at the innocent comment, and forces away the irony the sentence is swimming in. With a sense of nostalgia spreading like wildfire, she rips her left hand out of her pocket. With a speed she didn't know she possesses she reaches out and halts the brunette.

"No. It hasn't, not yet."

And she means it. God does she wish the brunette would address the double meaning hidden underneath her unwavering stare. She doesn't. And Jade nods in understanding when Tori harshly adverts her gaze to the concrete, because honestly there will come another moment like this in the future. Continuing the remaining distance left in a soft silence, Jade can only hope that there is a possibility she will have enough courage to address the next moment they would share.

* * *

 _ **I have the few three chapters that is this story written.**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Authors Note; Yeah I said I had all the chapters written—Before you grill me I did. Honestly I did...Then my laptop got totaled by a a source known as my brother. Then it crashed (me being the idiot I am. I didn't never backed it up) So I had to restart with this story. This time I do have the chapters written except the last...but I'll finish it because drum roll! I have another 25,000 words I'm gonna update after every chapter marinades a bit. Without further ado...The overdue chapter...**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes**_

She's hunched over her laptop; legs criss-crossed, hands rifling through index cards, forehead creased, eyebrow crinkled—It occurs so suddenly. The mischievous moment evades her—It's the first actual change that manages to sneak upon her stealthily. One minute she's pondering over the actual number that would help her balance an equation, then in an instant her mind scrambles to search for the actual logic, and she's having to do a double glance. Her mouth maneuvers into a muted ' _oh_ ' then her eyes are shutting and opening a fraction wider, brows soaring above expectations—then there's a sparing flicker towards her direction and there's an even more exceptional smile thrown into her orbit, and ' _oh wow_. Her lips haven't noticed the images sent from her brain, or maybe they have. Either or, her eyes bulge even more, and hands wave frantically around her area because she cannot process the sight and knocks into her coffee clumsily.

The heat foreshadows a red tint tempting and flooding her cheeks. Like a foolish coward her head tucks itself behind the safety of her note cards while her hands search her bag feverishly for something to clean the hot drink sprawling across the hall floors. Of course the second reaches the end of her quest and comes up short of nothing, her mouth provides a stream of profanities.

"Can you at least try to contain the profane language?"

Head lifting while her chest continues it's absurd pace it had begun seconds prior, Jade halts. Breath chartering for a moment over it's limit her throat chokes on the sudden reminder to inhale. She doesn't fathom the exact reason behind the inability to function properly. The length of the hair, or the rather older style that in contradiction does seem on board with the teens particular age. It seems to become too much for her brain to handle at once, because her muscles are stifled before becoming victim to a blind driver. She's standing with her hand outstretched to seek a formal handshake, and with an internal wince she hears the deafening clatter of her laptop hitting the ground.

The chuckle beings before transforming into an entertained laughter that is relentless in volume. Brain receiving the dreadlocked male having an elbow shoveled into his abdomen, she still cannot quite grasp the predicament she has put herself in. She still waves her hand in front and earns another cackle from the teen she's not honestly paying attention to.

"You're—Tori, hey."

The obnoxious grin, tooth and all, spilling onto her lips hardly affect her misty state. It must have become another mistake on her end due to the resounding laughter. There's a hand encasing her own and her body relishes in her relaxing bones she hadn't even felt tense. She could care less about her stupidity in that moment because there's a genuine smile roaring into her that drills a heavy thrum into her veins.

"You, Uh, look great. Honestly."

The hovering eyebrow she's on the receiving end of glitches her mechanisms. Her eyes trail from the facial features and lands on their clasped hands in horror at it's purest. Snatching the limb away, and twisting to finally acknowledge Andre who in return is watching her with tears pouring down his cheeks. A scowl slips onto her face with ease. Disbelieving her own actions she sets to gather her items littering the floor. Intending to walk away swift and easily, she's swiveling on her heels with a bit of coaxing.

She shuts her eyes—the obvious haircut that bounces just below the dark brunettes shoulders hexing her mind.

"Thank you." Tori speaks with a delicate smile; despite the averted stare she can practically hear the ever present symbol of the teen.

Snort vibrating from her mouth before she can stop it, she lifts her gaze. Of course it's during the precise moment Tori decides to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. Jade halts and the scowl is erased as easily as it came and replaced with another muffled smile, eyes delicate.

"Yeah, I mean it's whatever."

Providing a sceptical rise and fall of her shoulders, she ignores the laughing Andre softly banging on the lockers next to them. He's muttering or gasping out vowels she can't piece together.

"Oh I told you guy...s, O—Rob did you get that?" Andre manages to question with a clear voice.

Attention whipping towards the hunched over male. She catches sight of a fruit shaped phone peaking around the corner separating her locker row from the next hall. Anger boils over far too quickly to be deemed sane. Stepping in the direction of the thunderous footfall that's retreating from the direction that's victim to her initial glare meant to instill terror.

"Shapiro you conniving little shithead, I swear—"

Sentence interrupted by the center of her humiliation, Jade halts. Honestly she does and it has plenty to do with the hand whacking her right arm, and then the very same hand trailing down the inflicted area. A gesture that was meant to soothe. One that despite it's intentions produced the exact opposite effect. The electrocution managed to spread from her arm and deliberately creeping up her neck.

The red ridden cheeks were an inevitability she could not deceive.

Her irritation flares once more when the laughter beings again.

"I'm leaving." She mutters predictably. Ignoring the amused Tori Vega shouting after her retreating form.

...

The day proceeds with similar instances such as the morning. Aside from the scowl she receives from the janitor, one she returns ferociously, it's the same humility. Even more actually. With her assuming Cat and Beck had witnessed the 'video' Robbie had recorded, with the body shuddering snickers they toss her way whenever she breezes by with a permanent scowl. One that cannot bare to be directed at the object of her issues.

She sees the brunette with the haircut and her mind becomes riddled with mist, lips curling into a muddled grin. Her staring starts to get insane as well. In Sikowits she only has eyes that demand to behold the fresh sight, music theory she fumbles with the sheet when Tori brushes over her in order to get a music sheet. Creative writing is ruined due to the brunette who absurdly delivers a note to another student. That resulting with Jade losing a pen in vain to distract herself by throwing it at another seniors head. Every encounter ending with a sheen sleeting blush. The frustration build and builds yet lunch comes and she's bluntly staring at the brunette enchanting a conversation with some senior she was partnered with.

"She's still staring..." Beck drawls with a smirk.

"Maybe we should snap her out of it?" Andre offers slyly.

"Shut it." She hisses without hitch.

"Good luck gaining her attention. She's completely and utterly smitten."

With Cat even inputting her own comment to tease, her shoulders fall with defeat. She's weary and humiliated she can't control herself because of a simple haircut. One that illuminates the already beautiful face of the brunette—Not that she'd admit that aloud, or internally.

She's not even remotely stunned when she notices Tori send her apologetic frown. Mostly just stumped.

"Guy's stop," Tori warns. "Stop mocking her. It's bad enough Robbie is eating his lunch in the bathroom. Don't make things worse."

Her chin protruded to show her smug smirk on full display, arms folded over one another to show the bit of dominance she has; despite the initial moment of weakness she had in the face of the brunette speaking in her defence. Eyeing the tables occupants with every intention to smear the uncontested victory in their scolded frowning, faces, she watches them exchange a reluctant sigh to the seemingly peacekeeper.

It's a few moments of silence enveloping the table and she heaves a weightless breath.

"Besides I told Robbie to send me the video and I'll post it on the Slap,"

The pause has her shooting wide eyes towards the girl.

"It doesn't seem like she'll even be able to function enough around. Let alone long enough to me to kill me."

"Vega!"

Her shout is simmering on her tounge as her arms wrap around her bag and legs working overtime to escape the booming laughter filling the atmosphere.

"Jade! I was kidding. I swear!"

* * *

"Depressive as is, this year will become home to your final memories that is your senior year. Excluding the impact that I know without a doubt that I have manifested my deepest hopes and dreams I could never achieve into you're awkward little bodies, you've had an experience like no other during your time here. So come on my mutants and let's do an activity together. One that will surly have an effect that will get you to reminisce those, tingly, sad, sometimes odd memories. Andre you first."

Despite the familiar twinkle of comfort that can be explored through the nearly bald man, Andre bares an uncertain smile. The boisterous grin slithering onto the lunatic lips is the absolute reason for his discomfort, also the unsettling stack of note-cards casually flipping in pale fingers. He reaches the stage with a miserable frown as a hand is firmly patting his back with the idea of comfort. Even then Sikowits flashes him an odd mix between a smirk and grin as he thrust a card into the dark teens hand. At this she can feel the hitch creating curiosity as her pierced brow becomes even more profound.

"Read the word my boy."

Narrowed eyes watered with concentration at the no doubt scribbled lettering the man had formed.

" _Time_."

His confusion is uttered with a wrinkled nose and through an exasperated tone. She can practically feel the emotions generating a repetitive pattern around the room. Hidden behind him is an outstretched arm as a cause for his sudden surge forward, and Sikowits simply stares at the distraught teen with a shrug of indifference, as if he had meant to only nudge him without the extra force. Andre deflates with a wave of defeat and in a few strides he's plopping into his seat with a definitive groan.

"Fantastic he can read. Assuming you're in the process of formulating a vague explanation as to why you wanted ' _dreadlocks_ ' to read at a third grade level. I'm going to have my input of opinion. You're an insane human being."

It earns her reprimanding stare from Tori, one she has become accustomed to and has come to ignore with an increasing efficiency—occasionally.

"Oh how this institution thrives on the diverse and bitter taste you leave. Jade since you've been in a lovely mood today, come on and bring that evil grin over here and pick from the hat awaiting your wondering hands."

He had not been lacking the truth. With the earlier rise than normal procedure, her own emotions were ranging with an obscene amount of withheld frustration. Her morning had become even more treacherous upon the fact that since it had been insane crowd bustling around the lively ' _Jet Brew._ During the forsaken hour, and it would indeed have made her late if she had not decided with a sinful scowl, to forego the morning ritual to attain caffeine. Neither had it gained a positive when she had arrived to the school to notice the sheen irritating reason she had to awake so early had decided to bail on the properly planned meeting to finish the creative writing. A project that proved to be a percentile of their grade she wouldn't wish to repeat.

"A pain is what you are."

Pushing out of her seat and striding towards the still beaming Sikowits, Jade shoves her hand into the hat without hesitation. Attention scanning the small stripe of paper held in her fingers.

"Ah, the last words my father spoke to me."

"I didn't know your father died." Tori questioned.

She could practically feel the concern, implicating the brunettes worry, and she momentarily indulges herself in the fact that the teen seemed to concern more than many deemed necessary.

"Dead? Oh no. Last words before he was sent to the ' _home_ '. What a real nutcase that man was. Not a visit goes by where that man doesn't complain about a pain. It's exhausting really he rants on and on about a pain in his—"

Her interception doesn't lack the approval of the exhaustive mutters spreading throughout the room.

"Harbor." It's spoken with a sarcastic bite that doesn't overrule the bending unease creating an avalanche inside her stomach.

Rarity to have a simple word have an impact to her own emotions, is slime, very slim, but it does. It has her believing her intestines twisting with one another, while her mind searches to connect with the reason as to why her veins have run cold. Her expression remains calm, and she makes sure that it does when there are a set of at least two dozen eyes are drilling into her.

The quell of her insides is promptly shut down with the middle aged man letting a consistent pattern of breath felt on the back of her neck, while his presence could be felt peering over her shoulder with an uncomfortable lack of space between them. Sikowits snatches the tiny piece of paper from her hands with a tilting head, and inquiry donning his eyes. She watches with an inching irritation swelling after a minute of his examination of the paper.

"Hmmm...Now what was I thinking when I put that—" He halts his own sentence with a low chuckle.

One that turns into another, twisting into a full blown hysterical myth that has him spinning around in a whimsical circle. The befuddled stares he receives are nothing compared to the lunatics beaming grin.

"Sikowits!"

His twirling minimises into a dim shuffle, and neither student can be settled into a comfortable silence with the blinding grin—one that seems a bit too crazed energized. Even with the reputation of prospering in the face of discomfort, Jade finds herself wriggling her fingers that are splayed against her crossed arms, with a sense of irritation. An amount of unease that hasn't been brought forth by anyone besides the bubbling brunette, that stirred more emotions, and provoked a relentless havoc.

His eyes settled on the stoic goth who in return decided against the swelling lurch of her stomach and leveled him with a steady scowl. The stare proved to further his examination—not deterring the teacher. He stared with a silence that enveloped the unusual atmosphere, a stare that didn't waver. He stifled her with calculation, and a twinkle gleaming in his left eye that had not been an affirmative answer as to the reason he bore into her skin.

The three strides he took alarmed her in a way. His eyes flickering to the mass of students watching with a shuddering discomfort, and back to her.

"Have you visited the harbour as of late?"

Her eye roll produces an uplift of his lips.

"That has nothing to do with this but fine I'll indulge you. No I haven't."

"You're a series of mysteries Jade. Yet even you seem to lack the ability to sort out a secret that even a blind man can—"

His pause is loud and clear, with a clap and turn of his attention to the rest of the students. A clap three times repeated with the exact same tune enters her ears, and Sikowits gestures to the door.

"We'll get to the rest of you next class...shruggers and all. Now if you don't mind I'd love to have some alone time. So scadadle."

The short chime blaring it's arrival twice over, would be a bit startling for his dismissive timing, if it weren't a reoccurring factor. Even with the bell, and the sudden chatter filling in the hopes of the exiting students, she's rooted to her place. Features twisted into annual scowl, eyebrows furrowed, forehead creased, lips pursed. Her eyes do not stray from the man whose attention is solely stolen by a blue stain decorating his ill fitting pants. Her mouth twitches and her intention is to question his rather vague comments, but the hand grasping her forearm halts her.

Her vision is taken with a hitched eyebrow, flinching jaw, and short smile that transitions into curiosity. Her initial reaction is to blink, and nearly stutter the obvious reason as to why the brunette decided to lingering behind instead of following the others. She doesn't comprehend exactly whether she should be warmed by the fact that she is indeed the reason, or irritated that her attempt to question the teacher is proven futile as she hears obvious struggles of the man to exit from the northwest window. Her stare down with the brunette is broken with her eyes trailing down.

"We're going to be in the Asphalt...Whenever," Tori gestures to the index card in the goth's hands. "Whenever you're done with that."

Watching the brunette turn away with a subtle nod, her eyes flicker to the bolded words on the card, and switching back to Tori. After a generous three steps she crumbles the small paper into her fist.

"Wait," Tori swivels around with a curious brow. "Your not all that dumb. So maybe you could elaborate on a few things."

"Your not dumb either Jade." With a delicate breath, hands clenching the strap of her bag, Tori smiles.

"Then enlighten me. Vega."

"Nothing you do or say is ever simple. Half of the things that makes you—You. Are completely questionable and that's what makes you different. Complicated even. You're a very assertive person, who actually comes off as a girl who knows everything about herself. It's just maybe even if you do believe you have this entire life thing figured out. Maybe you don't. Whatever Sikowits was saying could be based on the fact that everyone has something to hide or something they can't really control."

Her lips purse, while her eyes scrutinize the brunette standing in front of her shifting her feet. Whether it's the obvious fact that Tori does indeed know her, or the way that the opinion was spoken with such confidence,—her chest is scampering to settle. The truth in the words are startling and has her burning with irritation. It's the point that even if she could see the comments as advice, the words still expose the treacherous secret that may have not been one in the first place. So with a personality such as her's she merely nods and accepts it. Does not even chance a regarding to the rather diplomatic way of speaking her fears.

"What are you hiding then?"

Tori tilts her head to the left just an inch.

"As of now nothing you don't already know or haven't noticed."

The subtle hint screams and pleads for attention—she doesn't take the bait.

"Well isn't that swell."

She receives an averted gaze and a stumped frown.

"It certainly puts things into perspective."

* * *

Tracing the engraved outline of the title she can neither feel, nor care for at the moment she fiddles with the scissor ring on her left ring finger. Through a precise stroke of chance she has the absolute privilege to notice the captured bottom lip, victim of a nervous habit while a pair of doe eyes littered with miniscule freckles of hazel watch her through fluttering eyelashes. Even the precision that the quick glance thrown towards her direction she cannot deny the existence of it's depth. A shudder strikes a chord within her and neither can she dismiss the panic rising within her as her spine forms a bond of tension with her shoulders. Her bottom teeth clashes with the it's counterpart in order for her features to harden with a facade of irritation.

"Hey Jade can you pass me the remote?"

Letting her eyes flick to Andre with indifference, she returns her attention to the television series neither of the other five teens could name at the moment, she shrugs. Then she shifts her eyes to the television remote nestled between the cushions to her left and since she was at the end of the sofa it meant she was the nearest body to the device.

"No."

"Why not?" Andre whines with a huff.

"You have two legs and two arms get it yourself. Don't be such a lazy bum."

"Seriously? Jade come on you're the closest to it. Don't be so grunchy woman."

"Shut it before I—"

Sentence halted with the firm fingers clenching her flesh together, the scowl is turned towards the scolding features of the brunette standing besides her. The stare down is mutual with both parties expecting the other to give in. She would have won if she were to be honest, but two factors came into reality. The first being the simmering frown being thrown her direction is morphing into a tiny pout that has her eyes flickering to those rather endearing lips, and the second is the skin of her arm still captured between those lithe finger. Of course she is no match to the arsenal presenting issues and instead of battling a written lose, she concedes to the teens wit. Hum of a grunt emitting from her throat as her fingers encase the remote, with a smirk she let's the piece fly from her hands to land with a thud.

"Ouch. Jade," Robbie moans from his position on the floor, rubbing the mane of his hair. "She threw a remote at me. You threw a remote. Tori she threw the remote at the back of my head."

"I'm sure she can see that Robbie." Beck mutters, voice muffled from his face shoved into a couch cushion.

Avoiding the brunettes stare, though she can see the mute, amused eye roll. Jade takes a sip from the styrofoam cup. She catches the nodding head skipping down before startling back into a proper position as the red head squeaks herself awake. She finds herself mimicking exasperation of the body language of each teen, it's been a sharp hour since they had ambushed the brunette and settled around the television. Of course that resulted in not one comical, dramatic, nor horror show they could agree to watch, which then turned into each becoming victim to boredom. That turned into Jade absentmindly watching the scenes of some terrible oldie, savoring the last bit of her cooling drink.

"I'm hungry, Tori." Andre murmured.

"I'm starving too Toro." Beck chimed his input.

She watched the brunette let out a loud irritated breath that translated the reluctance to move from her comfortable position. It didn't deter the red head from tossing in her own opinion, while Robbie shouted about his own empty stomach. Smirking only once the particular set of legs strewn across her lap are shuffling only to gain her attention, she remains silent.

"Pizza or Chinese?" There's a delicate balance between displeasure and remorse in the voice, or maybe it could be the heavy sigh acquiring a place after the question.

"Burgers."

"Yeah. What I'd do for a fat juicy cow sizzled just right."

Despite the initial chorus of inputs Robbie demands the leering silence and curious yet irksome scowls.

"Shut up Rob. I don't wanna think...That's just sick man."

Her throat constricted with the laughter ebbing into existence to be shoved down again, her eyes search for the exasperated facial expression that would form. It presents itself with a mouth twitching to mumble a coherent 'but' and wide perceptive irises darting around the room. The conveying appearance renders her ineligible the fend the shudder of amusement. Even more so when that face zeroes in on her with tilted eyes and a creased brow. She's not expecting the brunette to twist her body into a stance, and grasping her unoccupied hand to mirror the action. With a twinkling eye, Tori questions the preferences with an entertained uplift of her lips.

"Great, Jade you can drive."

It's her turn to hitch her pierced brow directly at the expectant girl. The moment ticking past with the same stare forces her to shoot a scowl at the face before her head inclines silently. Her eyes are murky when the same quick hand forces her to a mild jog towards the door. Shooting a withering scowl over her shoulder when she hears the slightest snickering. With a triumphant huff, the chuckles die on the perpetrators tounge. Trudging down the driveway her mind is still baring it's frenzied anxiety due to the warm hand refusing to let her own slip away. The disappointment is swallowed by a denial that settles into her system after their hands are separated and they're in their own seats.

"You have your own driver's license. Why am I chauffeuring you around."

The girl in question chuckles softly before diving to tinker with the radio. She'd scold the teen for tampering with her channels if she knew her own warning would be in vain. As much as she disregarded the brunettes space, and rules, their relationship was vice versa.

"Because you were enjoying my despair," Tori mutters. "And you didn't even try to help me."

She can practically hear the protesting pout. Easing the wheel onto the near vacant streets before turning into the chaotic and bustling city that the state is known for, she side eyes the teen.

"Your suffering is supposed to amuse me remember." She informs with a twisting smirk.

"Don't be such a grunch."

Finding offence in the whine could not even become watered down with the upbeat tune marinating the air. Her scowl is nothing short of provoked. With the upbeat tune marinating the air, finding offence in the whine could not arise; if anything her offensive expression was due to the rather excited piano notes that soon transitioned into a repetitive drum. Despite the initial tolerance to permit possibly the only other human being she'd allow to go about flicking through stations—other than herself of course. That spot had been earned with the brunettes unusual taste in music. Pop, rock, and indie were general genres that was expected of the radiant girl, it was the classical, metal, and slightest drabble in blues were the deal breakers that had initiated the reluctant goth to concede. Often she found herself victimized by the popular pop tunes of the month, but still when it did it irked her to no end when it occurred.

No matter how lenient she was when dealing with the brunette; she wasn't that lackadaisical.

"Vega..."

She warned after her readied hand attempted to switch from the horrid beat was slapped away.

" _Those hardest to love need it most, I watched our bodies then to ghosts_..."

The whimsical voice didn't waver, and neither did the odd movements Jade witnesses from her peripheral view.

" _We've got our aim but we might miss, we are too fragile just to guess...And I've been in this place before, fine as we are but we want more that's human nature at it's best...What if we ruin it all, and we love like fools_?"

Her hovering hand could be lagging in it's purpose as the words continue to fumble from the tuneful lips. She'd never truthfully learned of the hype in which shrouded the anticipation that peered over the school when the rumors floated around about an 'otherwordly' voice that had taken over during the showcase. She would not deny the ability of the brunette, nor disregard the obvious talent the teen had when it came to carrying a note. In fact she reckoned she'd never understand the see in which the voice held a crowd. It wasn't particularly exceptional, neither did the half-latina have a set of pipes or gifted such as Cat, but she could speculate.

Delicate—that's one word she could muster to describe the voice. Or could it be the raw material and passion that loomed over the voice even if it was a simple car hum. Either or there was the constant reminder that the strumming tone that emitted from the brunette enveloped an audience in a frantic anticipation. It seemed that the girl regarded every note—grasped every word with a dedication that pronounced itself in the effortless excitement that spewed from the brunette. That's the very reason that even had Jade herself in awe of her ex-frenemy. The obvious enjoyment in every performance, the uncontested victory that overcame the atmosphere swirling around the oxygen Tori bathed in after sung a song. The teen sung with her heart and buoyant mood instead of throat or stomach. That could be the factor that irked the goth; One that even she couldn't help but admire without fault.

" _The feeling in my headspace rearranged,_ "

The denial in the truth—the absurd lie she spoke to herself once that the voice soothed her nerves—calmed her mind and sent her chest into a placid duet. The warming honey and rich tone warmed her stomach and drove into her veins with a pulsating hum.

" _I want you more than I've wanted anyone, isn't that dangerous_?"

Wielding her lips not to lift when the burning grin, and searing eyes meet her perplexed stare, she turns her head to the halted cars with a smirk. The green light forces her to rein in her desire to continue to watch the enigmatic human. It doesn't however halt her curving smile.

...

The lyrics don't register with her until she's watching the same girl's tilted head, and energetic laughter while sharing a few terrible jokes with Robbie. The suggestive will that had dreamed attention on the soft face while singing those words don't haunt her until she's witnessing the brunette trying to win a dum arm match with Andre, and flashing a bright grin in her direction when he lets her win. The moment their eyes meet for the thousandth time the same night her chest begins to ache with her lost opportunity—the millionth one she's forfeited.

Her throat taunts her with the words, while her heart scamper's to rid itself of the flaming stutter.

Beck sends her a knowing nod when she's enveloped in the brunettes willing embrace. One she acknowledges with her own nod.

She's silent when she let's her head rest on the girl's shoulder in order to bask in the peaceful lull her frantic blood is in.

* * *

 _ **Yeah Tori got the haircut Victoria Justice did, because I mean come on. It's senior year, and Who The Heck doesn't love the woman's new hairstyle is obviously blind. Honestly she's gorgeous...especially in Eye Candy (Which dumb, idiotic MTV cancelled...Something we're not going to get into at the moment) Anyhow she's gorgeous.**_

 _ **PS: Yes you guy's have the authorization to grill me. So. Go for it.**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**Didn't think I'd update huh? Yeah I get it...**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes**_

Flick the wrist and train your eyes enough to correctly identify the proper angle that's needed. There's merely a mute sound as the pebble bounces across the murky water—It's music to her ears when the pebble sinks into the water with a soft clunk and create a rippling effect, causing the brown liquid around to move in motions of a wave, and only simmers after a few moments. It's crisp and the air is thick with the scent of freshly fallen leaves and it makes her throat tighten and relax with every deep inhale and exhale. Doing nothing to shy away from the bitter breeze presenting it's self with a rough chill she peels the leather jacket off of her shoulders and welcomes the autumn season. It's an empty hope that she wishes nothing more to take off the black knitted sweater as well, but she refrains and instead tosses the jacket to the side with a soft grunt. Her earlier motions continue and a persistent scowl marks her eyebrows and lips as the excited screams of children fill her ears as the sun is looming just above the skyline, refusing to set even with the time.

"Bunch of brats."

Jade mutters to the self induced silence.

If it were a year ago at this very moment, then she would have been positive she would be the one scaring the little children until she was satisfied their encounter with her would scar them for eternity. She'd go all out every year with the money her mother or father would give her (They hated the prospects of the holiday, but would always cave when she'd simply pull the ' _you guys are never home as is, honestly if I can't have the tight knit family then why do you guys bother to ruin my happiness as well_ ' card.) But the necessities before decorating the house until she was sure the house could be defined as macabre. She would be the creepy house that served the kids the fake candy bars she had found on the internet, until she deems necessary that she could at least spare the toddlers of her petty jealousy. The house with the oddly coincidental creek of the first three steps to her front porch making it even more dreadful to approach the house with the cynically grinning goth waiting in her father's library next to the front door peaking through the mildly opened blinds. It was her favorite holiday. A day that's basically dedicated with all of the things normal people banished off due its insensitive nature to the humans that couldn't take a simple joke.

Yet instead she had dismissed any and all of her friends attempts to get her to attend the party half of the school had raved about. She had cut of her father when he had given her more than enough money to cover her favorite holidays cost. She'd even shut off the television when she had flipped through numerous channels headlining her favorite classic horror films. This was simply not her year, either she could blame it on her lack of enthusiasm or on the slim chances that the reason for her not being in the mood has been insistent on sending her text messages every other hour. Or maybe it's due to that particular person had done something that had completely thrown her off her axis.

She halts mid motion when she hears a screeching scream of excitement fill the air. Her thumbs fiddle with the rough edges of the gritty rock, she refrains from letting the item skid across the lake. Instead she continues to inspect the jagged mineral.

"Of course I find you being completely lackadaisical."

It's a whisper slipping past quivering lips.

Her stomach lurches with anticipation as her fingers clench together with an amount of frustration surpassing any she had felt the entire year. She doesn't turn to face the soulful eyes and kind smile, she doesn't think her head can bare the sight. In fact her eyes lock onto the stillness of the lake set with the determination seeping through her every being. Her posture stiffness punishing her spinal cord with every heavy crunch of the forsaken leaves, breath catching when the steps halt a few feet behind her. She can feel, taste the heat emitting from the warm eyes boring into her. She feels exposed, stripped of the defensive stance her walls no longer have.

"You choose to have a bitter and pity party on Halloween. Do you even know how dangerous that is? Especially in a park that has been known to have the highest disappearance rate close to this time of year in a thirty mile radius."

A pregnant moment of deception instills confidence within her after the silence becomes long enough for her to swivel on the balls of her feet. The world is tilting and spinning at a blinding speed where she cannot fathom the ideals of what she had once believed of not being able to feel the earth's rotation. Her eyes are wide with surprise as her throat stings with anticipation of regret. Her mind forces her to take a sinful step back before her own feet can comprehend the demand and she doesn't have the luxury of bracing herself for the onslaught of pain searing from her rear end. Her voice has left her of any objections as she desperately seeks to find anything to terminate the commands telling the brunette to take slow tentative steps closer. She can do nothing but stare at the smeared massacre and tanned skin barely containing the tinted colors staining the girls cheeks, she has to inhale as much air until her lungs are on the brim of explosion. She has to admit defeat when she has to take in the stray tears exposing the pure exhaustion through the brown eyes.

"What are you doing here?"

Her throat aches and she can feel the tale-tell signs of her stomach sinking as she concludes that she should be proud to have strung those words together to create such a proper question. There's a silence that makes her even more uneasy as the brunette scans her form with a heave of relief that has her insides wrenching with appreciation.

"Have you even checked your phone?" Tori counters.

The nine unanswered text mingling with the twenty-two unresponsive phone calls has her averting her attention to the large tree standing proud enough to taunt her in shame. It's a solid beat of heavy breathing that has her closing her eyes with pain as she can recall the whiplash she had received the last time the brunette had been filled with an incredible amount of mounting frustration.

"Come on,"

Startled with the exclamation her swallow forces down the empty lies wanting to escape her lips.

"We're going home."

"No." Jade refuses softly.

"I'm not doing this with you. I'm not going to be the one that's terrified because you feel the need to have a pity party. I'm done trying to force you into being okay with changing. You're not the same person from three years ago Jade, and when you've learned to accept that then please find me and apologize for being the asshole I know you truly aren't."

Her throat burns with an irritating force sending a searing fire preventing her from relieving herself of the pain. She tries, honestly she pushes past her limitations and tries to tear her eyes from the brunette staring at her with so much faith and anger, but she cannot. Her futile attempts are proven useless when trembling legs breaks the gravity around her. It's the brunette sniffling while simultaneously swiping the lingering tears that has her hands wrestling with one another in uncertainty.

"I am an asshole, and maybe that won't ever change. You know that, and I do too. It's that simple and maybe I'm not the same person but the force of habit is a tendency that will never change."

Another set of liquid streaking down the tanned cheeks that has her insides wrenching with guilt. Hesitant steps are nearly taken mere seconds before she can contemplate why her feet have not moved an inch. The dwindling confidence convinces her to shoot her eyes onto the dying grass awaiting the spring rebirth. And truly she wants to believe she has enough reflexes to notice the slim arms dash around her waist, or have the common sense to register the broken groans gaining weight of volume, but she can't. Tori does that to her, and never can she expect to interpret the lack of awareness around the girl.

"Don't be such an idiot."

Chest constricting as the firm nod disrupts her mild hindered mind, she can feel her delayed arms enclose around the brunette. Her posture has deflated and she can no longer distinguish exactly when she had come to find the brunette in distress unacceptable. Instead she emits a low breath and let's her chin rest on the soft brown tresses she has learned soothes her nerves.

"What are you afraid of Jade?"

The answer fails to spew from her lips.

...

"You."

Is what she whispers when they reach the Vega household and are greeted with the sight of their friends.

Andre and Beck watching some horror movie intently, while Cat and Robbie argue over what piece of candy they want to trade. They're spared beaming grins before everyone rummage's back into their earlier activities.

She does nothing when there's a pillow thrown into her lap and a pair of pumpkin socks soon follows. The lights are shut off and the room's occupants attention stolen by the classic horror movie marathon they've found. Yet when her eyes scan around the area and lingering on every breathing body for a second longer than necessary. She let's her lips scramble into a sloppy grin.

* * *

Her head feels as though it were hit with a ten ton blouder, and she isn't becoming a dramatic late riser that enthusiastically despises early mornings. That's exactly who she is, but she can form a personal excuse that will no doubt have many think of her as otherwise. One being the fact that it is only nearing nine with six minutes to spare, also it's the holidays. A day in which she had expected to sleep down the preparations of the playwright production she had been able to produce, and perform without fault, yet had taken up any and all of her spare time during and after school. Add in the extra work she had demanded for more credit to enhance her already excellent marks, she had been victim to sleep deprivation. Yes she could complain with low murmurs of profanities and even more internal less than proper language, when she had been unlucky enough to have heard the ordinary knocks accompanied with the absolute terror that is the doorbell.

Feet pounding against the cool tile that has been apart of generating her bitter mood, she can do nothing but scowl at the various household objects she passes by all the while aching to simply destroy everything in her path. It's then she truly believes that her father had overdone his wealth management in buying the abnormally large house. Reaching her destination, she stares at the wooden door painted with a cream color she has never actually paid attention to. Her frown deepens when she realizes the knocking has ceased and the echos of the bell chime are no longer filling her senses. There could be no explanation other than the demon that has prolonged her sleep has left and has accomplished nothing but irritate her beyond belief. So she becomes livid once more and with much force she rips open the door and feverishly grips the handle, while her right middle finger whips into the air without even noticing what or who had caused her the morning distress.

"It's a shitty morning. Leave. Then go fuck yourself."

Surveying the sight with a fresh glare, her eyes open a tad bit wider when she actually does take a moment to observe the intruder. Jeans wrapped around a long legs and a slim waist, thick black coat with buttons interlaced to the fullest all the while an orange and white scarf is tucked into the coat, she skips over the face and with a grimace and finds herself staring at an orange beanie branding an oversized turkey grinning her way pointing it's thumbs pointing to itself with the words _"Stuff yourself with an enormous thanks to this Turkey,"_ inscribed on it's forehead. Finally she let's herself indulge in the widened brown irises darting to her face and finger, and parted lips while the tanned fingers wrapped around a jet brew coffee thrust in her vision as offering. The brunette blinks with a rapid pace before the girl takes on an amused grin supported with the hitch of a familiar eyebrow. The sight makes her attention snap to the anticipating rumble of her stomach and the unfairness of her own mind turning into an unsteady flow.

"That's an incredible greeting for an even more incredible morning enthusiast."

Vanishing from her momentary lack of relapse, her emotions leap from the adoration towards the brunette to an agitation she swears has no idea to deal with the forsaken brown eyes and bright smile.

"What _the actual_ hell Vega."

She cannot halt the inflammation and quick deflation spreading through her chest unevenly when she receives pouted lips and eyes created purely for protecting. It's her own fault for not behaving well and playing along with the girls teasing banter.

"Back to last name basis? You cannot be this much of an angry little bag of mustered in the morning."

Her chest will not recover and she has to shuffle her feet in order to rid herself of the overwhelming response to the brunettes abrupt appearance with refocusing on the mild confusion directed at the odd sentence.

"I am going to ignore that because even you know that made no sense. The point is, you're here. In front of my home at nine in the morning. I can only tolerate so much of anyone during regular hours of the day. Tell me before any of the nonsense about to pour out of your mouth exactly your purpose for being here."

She receives lips spread with a wide variety of amusement.

"I knew you'd make an exception."

Delicacy balanced with truth fills her ears. Her hands fidget with the doorknob and she does nothing to ease the preying brown eyes focusing in on the hint of her nerves.

"I'm still waiting for the reason you're here."

Neither the decision to deny the accusation nor the need to prove the comment is the reason she is currently shifting her attention to detailed carvings of her front door. It's the vibrant smile blinding her from beyond the point of repair.

"I wanted to spend some time with you before you had to scowl away the rest of the weekend with your grandparents."

A wave of silence encounters the pair. Despite the overwhelming sense of security lacing the features of the brunette, she spots the familiar tell tale signs of mischievous brown irises tinged with enthusiasm itching for a moment of weakness. One in which would gain the brunette the opportunity to achieve the upper hand in the argument that was already proving to be futile for the darker of the pair. Her mind bonds a connection with the words and bond them to the confidence radiating from the unwavering voice, and immediately her shoulders hang with defeat. She couldn't survive the onslaught of adoration that swelled once the truth and vulnerability had been offered to her without a moment of second thought.

"I'll make it worth your while. We can go for breakfast, and even better I can drive you to that new voodoo store that just opened up a few weeks ago. You told me you hadn't had the chance to go, but heard they had a ton of creepy things there. You like weird so it'll be—"

"You knew I wouldn't be able to get any more sleep even after this tiresome conversation, and the coffee is indeed a nice touch. And I don't know wether I should be proud or irritated that you're in the process of manipulation."

...

The radiant smile that had returned her stubborn refusal to accept the proposal as a response is the exact reason she was currently waiting for the brunette to order. A brunette that was still — _even after five minutes_ — scowling towards the menu with an intensity that she could relate with the burning sensation trailing down her spine. Sparing with the smile that had threatened to capture her lips had been too much of a nuisance. Another lie she was sure not even hades would approve to be legitimate. Once her stomach twitched for the fifth time during the ten minutes off stepping foot inside the seventies themed diner, irritation started to claw into her system.

"Do not test my patience Vega."

When she received nothing more than a mutter of disdain, and the brunette seemed keen on not letting her eyes stray from the menu she pursed her lips. Waiting—Waiting for the eventual voice to fill her ear laced with complaints of herself being impatient, and she hitched her eyebrow in anticipation. She was positive it would come. Yet Tori merely strolled her delicate fingers across the corners of the laminated paper to flick between the same page she had been skimming and forward. The low tisk of disapproval before the brunette flipped back into the front with an exaggerated sigh had her moaning an unsteady breath.

"Fine. take your time, it's not like my own stomach will fold into itself due to the lack of proper nutrition. However cool that would be."

Voice on the verge of exasperation. Jade has to refrain from letting the smug smirk slip onto her lips when the brunette sets down the menu a moment later.

"It's not exactly polite to be so impatient when the person you've been rushing for the past five minutes is paying for the food. Especially when you've been here before and figured out what you wanted without even looking at the menu."

Her shoulders roll with indifference and instead of giving a response to the validity, she flicks her wrist and waves down the nearest waitress. Her peripheral vision enables her to spot the familiar brown eyes roll with slight irritation, before the brunette has her attention stolen towards loud vibrations of a notification. Watching with a solid foundation as for her reason her eyes have found interest in the creased brow and bottom lip tucked between a concentrated gnawing. It's an fascination that she cannot pinpoint the moment she had found staring at the teen she had believed to severely dislike so entrancing. That the sharp cheekbones that were so soft and well rounded —she had the experience of touching the smooth flesh on the occasion of having the task of cleaning the extreme make-up project Cat had done a year prior— were even enchanting enough to give her the conclusion that she should feel inspired she had even been able to have her eyes grace upon the rare sight.

While she could not find the answer, she could admit that even if she would be reluctant to release the fact aloud she could find comfort in the truth that the teen had the capability to overwhelm many into a stupor caused by the mere sight of her beauty. Even with the absurd amount of generosity split from the naturally pink lips and acceptance instilled within the light brown eyes, there are an endless stream of possibilities that can conclude as to why the teen has taken the definition of exquisite to an entirely different level.

The abrupt interruption of a blonde haired waitress that couldn't be any older than herself forces her attention away from the sight with a startled blink. Ordering the same meal she had been for the last year and a half since she had found the secluded diner after a particular argument that ended her relationship with Beck. With intentions to question the brunette on her own choice of meal, she has the pleasure to have a slender hand wrap around her index finger tapping a slow beat on the table. Shoulders tensing, she had the intention to recoil from the soft hands preoccupied with tracing the black and green scissor ring adorning her finger. Instead she heaved an uneven breath and pushed herself to sink a little deeper into the cushioned bench of the booth.

"You could tell me how you know about this place."

Having half the mind to spill a tolerable lie from her lips, she restrains her slick tounge and decides against the idea. Tori would detect the fabrication—She had a knack for unearth her deception.

"When Beck and I split for last year. I drove around for awhile and found it. Turned out they could create an even more bitter brew of coffee, and the pancakes aren't to shabby. So I simply kept coming. Nothing more nothing less."

The impassive tone doesn't deter the brunette from listening intently. She loathes the distinctive way in which the slightly younger teen holds on to her every word. As though she'd have to decode a hidden meaning behind an average statement. Neither does the brunette alleviate her discomfort when she nods with perceiving eyes and bottom lip tucked beneath a firm grasp her teeth holds in concentration.

"You tend to twitch your left eye when you're irritated or uncomfortable. Since you have nothing to be agitated about at the moment..."

Mind twitching with the intent to halt the hand extracting itself from her own, she refrains from doing so. However relevant the relieving breath she's able have fill her lungs, it doesn't settle the issue that her conscious is raving. Having the warm hand clasped in her while a tanned thumb hovering above the dip between her pointer finger and thumb in a tease to run along the smooth skin is something she's become accustomed to. A searing prickle soaring from the initial contact and tempting to flourish in her chest. It's far from revolting though Jade cannot decide whether the brunette stumping her coherence or if she can deal with the forsaken anticipation that seeps into her stomach with an unbearable ache. She wants to respond' honestly she truly does and her lips are starting to form a persuasive sentence to coax the hand to meet her own, but she clamps her mouth shut when an overbearing grin blinds her vision and her attention filets to the fresh batch of waffles placed in front of her.

"Hope you guys have a great meal and don't be afraid to shout me over if you need anything."

The waitress is still standing next to the table when she has the opportunity to glance upward for a second. Her double take doesn't deter the beaming smile and neither does her glare when the blonde attempts to strike conversation.

"Are you going to leave or not?"

A swift pain is emitting from the foot hitting her knee. Her scowl is thrown towards the brunette sending her a reprimanding frown.

"While my friend has a hard time expressing her gratitude, she meant it as a thank you for being such a wonderful waitress."

Her eyes roll, and if we're anyone else she would have detected the bit of over-the-top compliment; this was Tori she was listening to here, and of course she had never learned the shun in which the sincere comment would attain in modern society. She watches the waitress leave with an even more beaming grin than before, she withholds the silent shudder striking her spine. The brunette had that affect on people. She'd managed to brighten a smile that could even rival her own with a shine of her teeth and with purity of her voice. Jade averted her attention to her left, and she couldn't ignore the sudden bounce of her left knee.

She could spot the hitched eyebrow, while her companion eyed her silently.

"You don't have to be so crass all the time you know," Tori mutters, while cutting into her pancakes without any acknowledgement to the quick scowl thrown her way. "She's a sweet waitress."

"You'd be stunned by the percentile in which servers become completely infatuated with their customer. And of course you've seen movies. Girl meets stalker at some dance or some unrealistic event, both believe they fall in love within two hours of meeting, next day girl forgets stalker, stalker doesn't forget, girl gets stalked, girl doesn't call the cops when she notices she's getting stalked, stalker invades girls home because she was too stupid to notice the stalker watching her from across the street. They get into a scuffle, she almost gets free...and then the dumbass falls— _always_ the white girl,—and blah, blah, all that shit."

The uplift of her lips wind around the smirk in victory, while the brunette merely hitches a curious eyebrow."

"What about the one's where the guy saves the girl."

There's a genuine interest to the conclusive answer—The state gains, a scowl from the darker of the pair, one that last over a time span of two seconds. Before her features refuse to concede to forcing the strenuous activity of denying the brunette.

"This shit is real life. Reality wise, the chick gets hacked to pieces. The stalker turns into a sociopath, who in terms becomes the most dangerous to society, because they obviously loved the girl, but murdered due to their inevitable relationship failure."

"Maybe in this movie the girl actually falls as deep as the sociopath? How would that work out?"

"Other than the obvious signs that the relationship bombs within two weeks, because sociopaths have a tendency to control, and have the need to mark their territory, nothing."

"I think maybe they could work out. It's reverse sociology in a way, science even. Opposites attract, but there's a possibility they both have something in common that drew them to one another in the first place. A sixth sense, what if they were both sociopaths who happened to cross paths, and created an inevitable trail of combustion while falling for one another? I mean there could be a good one, with a plot development. One where it takes a while for them both to understand the meaning of love, and why the feel a compulsion to be near the other. In the end they have a life ahead of them filled with fire, and all the crazy stuff twisted couples do?"

"Nice touch Vega, but either or the relationship is a prophecy in itself," Her tounge contorts into a comparison of lead. "They obviously knew the relationship would be the end of their forever they've stupidly promised each other. They simply are the electrons and protons that couldn't balance each other out."

An eerie silence envelopes them, a quilt forged with creased foreheads, thin lips. Left staring into the brown irises embellished with a curious hope demolished. The revelation that there may have been a sentence or phrase said that has the elapsed silence encasing them, she eyes the brunette with concentration. She receives nothing more than a dainty lift of shoulders, and a certain fall that bares much more weight than it should have. Tori continues her earlier activity to slice the meal into pieces, but this time she slides a bit into her mouth, and the action has Jade averting her attention to her own plate.

The prosthetic silence continues, and she searches for the sentence that had erased the smile from the pink lips without care, so she can rewind time and kick the sentence in the rear end. In the midst of her quest, she lands upon a comment that would regain their momentum.

"I'm..." Her voice does not gain the brunettes attention, and she fiddles with her fork.

"I'm not entirely sure what just happened but,"

She halts all movement.

"The stalker has never met the scissor wielding goth. Who has some odd, and completely absurd need to save the helpless girl. Or who has been waiting to stick her scissors in places they shouldn't be able to reach in over two fucking years."

She doesn't let her own confusion for the words that have just escaped her lips show.

A moment escapes her clutch, and she's near the end of her patience to cater to the obscured desire to have the brunette scold her for the spherical language, with a quick eye roll, and smile titled with amusement. Almost done. Accepting defeat of not being able to assuage the moment, she keeps her stare intact for a beat longer that morphed into a necessity.

The sneaky smile is riveting, and for a moment her eyes widen a fraction.

"You sure your scissors won't lose their sizz?" It's humorous and spoken with a zesty amusement.

Her forehead creases while her eyebrows dip with a persistent problem stroking their hairs.

"This is completely metaphorical speaking. Don't put my shit out there Vega," Neck craning around to survey their surroundings as an assurance they weren't overheard. Jade leans toward the brunette watching her through entertained eyes, and quivering lips.

"Oh...Of course. I'm sorry. This was all metaphorical, gotcha."

Underneath the knowing quirk of the brunettes lips, her eyes notice the slightest gleam twinkling in those brown irises embellished with amusement, and mischief. With that Jade returns her attention to actually eating the meal, and tries feverishly to pretend as though she doesn't feel the ease of those cool brown eyes are watching her.

* * *

"You're staring. _Again_."

Instantly flicking her attention towards the sudden voice, she comes to face a curly haired teen watching her with twinkling eyes, and an upturned lip sitting above a tiny grin. Her eyebrows furrow with respect he had the audacity to set forth his comment, and her mouth switches to a solid line asserting her displeasure that he was in fact bold enough to put her on the spot. Instead of rendering the boy into a pile of nerves with the slick sarcasm she obtains. She entertains the conversation he intends to initiate.

"I'm debating the reason as to why you thought it was a good idea to approach me."

"My confidence has a lot to due with our flourishing friendship," His face contorts into a firm frown. "Alright well most of it is because of the pretty little lady that seems to have stolen the attention of an angry crumpet."

She can no longer distinguish exactly wether it is her unusual control of temper, or if it has anything to do with the growth of the teen. He isn't the awkward, dorky, boy that hides behind the comfort of speaking his morbid curiosity of teenage girls, neither the curly haired boy that spoke cruel, and odd comments to others in the form of an bitter puppet. He's not the boy who let himself become victim to her uncivil remarks while trying to fire his own comebacks through a ventriloquist act. He has morphed himself into the prime example of a rebirth that had been coped inside the rousing facade—a level headed, wise and witty, pleasant company.

"A distraction from her wouldn't even be enough to deter me away from the satisfaction of torturing you until your burning screams dissolve your lungs into rubble." His hands race to his throat while his face contorts into a harsh grimace.

"I see you're still interested in the more graphic forms of violence."

"Didn't know that that change was an expectation."

Robbie lifts his lips in a deliberate genuine smile, yet it's in a very condescending way. His hands shove themselves into his jean pockets and she's all to grateful he has grown out of his skin tight pants phase.

"You're jealousy is a little flattering."

Lifting her eyes to meet his own—She disregards the fact that his brown orbs have been inspecting her reaction almost keenly. It's not entirely evading her that it seems that her staring has even garnered enough attention for the boy to speak upon. She does not care to either.

Jade decides to answer the accusation with an even breath, and a short glance towards the topic of the entire encounter. To the brunette currently sharing a laughter with a partner, in which she has been informed of as of ten minutes prior, and casually invading the males boundaries. He doesn't seem to mind at all. The beaming grin he's sending her is merely coaxing the brunette.

"Human contact is what she thrives on. It's invasive, but it's her entire being."

It's—the truth. One that satisfies Robbie. If the silence is anything to go by.

"I love her Jade," Pausing in order to give him her entire attention, her eyebrows hitch in surprise.

"At one point I thought I was in love with her. I don't know whether or not I truly was...But she's Tori. And maybe I was. Maybe I wasn't. Either way she's important. To all of us. Some more than others,"

His eyes flicker with preconceived purpose.

"She gave me the confidence to use Rex as a talent rather than a object I could hide behind. And for that I owe her a lot. So. I, Uh, do me a favor and—"

Her mind is coaxing the action before she can provoke an actual counter. Fingers pinching the bridge of his nose while his mouth twist into a snorted whine. Jade smiles shortly towards the male; rather fondly. His head is tilted backwards, while his feet carry him into a dipped backpedal.

"You're trying to fill a pair of pants too big Shapiro. Maybe those tight jeans you wore last year have sucked all sense from you. Thighs to head."

Letting her fingers pinching the bone together give him a firm shove, she releases the defenseless boy. His stream of curses, whines, and empty threats amuse her. Only when he's done and she is on the receiving end of a hopeful expression does she incline her head delicately.

* * *

 _ **It'll be some...You want a scene thrown into this, that has a sort of relevance to this and I'll try to create what your precious minds peice together...Test me.**_

 ** _Jade is a bit of a downer huh..._**

 ** _Write Ya Later ;)_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Decided to update this a bit, since I might be heading out to Ohio..._**

* * *

 _ **Night Changes**_

Her eyes are locked on the couple standing in front of the lite up locker. Eyebrows knitted in concentration—Hoping that if her glare is fierce enough the roses would burst into flames, and burn the handlers hands to the point where he could never use them again. Even more so when the group of people surrounding him sent him winks of encouragement, the grip on her locker tightens when the all too familiar laughter bounces throughout the halls. Echoing inside her mind to the point she has to growl in order to rid the innocence of the sound. There's a glance casted her way by the darkest male of the group and he is visibly shaken by the hard stare. Even if it isn't him the look is being directed at. He nudges the fluffy haired boy besides him, and soon there's two people too uncomfortable of the situation. Instead of warning the rest of the teenagers, they simply bid goodbye with a sorry excuse. A red head and ventriloquist follow after the boys without any look thrown in her direction.

On their way moving past her Beck sends her a look of warning.

Daring her to interrupt the remaining pair.

She can hear the conversation switching topics now that the group has been narrowed down to only two members. She knows this is childish of her, and really she should have known this would eventually happen. She just wasn't prepared for the boy walking away from the brunette hands empty of the previous roses, and a grin replicating one of someone who had been granted the secrets of how to become a millionaire. He passes her by and she wants nothing more than to relieve her freshman year and trip him with the tip of her boot. She glares at his unknowing figure until he is out of her line of sight, but still.

She waits a few minutes until after he's left to continue staring at the now vacant path he occupied. With an incredible amount of effort she lets her gaze retrace his steps and land on the brunette digging through the locker in mild frustration. She knows what the girl is looking for and forces herself to rip the textbook out of her bag and her legs move accordingly.

Does she care that even with her making sure she places her steps to make as much noise as she can, the girl still doesn't notice her arrival. Yes. It makes her feel even worse for what she's about to do.

"Not a lot of people openly display their desperation by accepting the first invitation to the winter fallout mixer."

Her stomach drops with anticipation, and her palms begin to gain enough moisture that makes the guilt rise tenfold. There's a tension that rises in the girl's shoulders that makes her realizes she may have startled her, but then she wants to hurt herself for the look of confusion that overshadows the girl's features. Though she also notices the hint of a hurtful frown creeping up on the confusion all too quickly for her liking. Noting the small twist of the brunettes jaw she watches and despises the low sigh meeting her ears.

"I'm really not in the mood for this right now Jade, and I don't have the time either."

The voice expresses a lack of energy, and still she doesn't stop. Her head is far from logic right now, her emotions seem to be on the same wavelength as well, because she's taking a sharp step into the girls personal space.

"Piece of advice. Shove your thongs back into your pants, flaunting them for every guy to see doesn't help you with your terrible dating history. Some girls actually take pride in not whoring around the school."

There's silence.

There isn't any movement and she barely registers the lack of noise in the hall. She doesn't care of the few that has stopped and watching them with clear astonishment at her word choice.

It's a fact: Hurt Tori Vega and you're the devil walking on legs. No one has had the audacity to even spare the girl a crude comment, she's too innocent, too pure to be tainted.

It's odd. To have nearly the entire school deem one girl too kind to harm verbally or physically.

Yet this school has to be one of the most accepting, non discriminating in the entire country, and she had just done the unimaginable. She had taken her level of snark, and rudeness and set it in entirely different faction. Not even two years ago would she have uttered the sentence to the brunette. It was simply put to evil. It's a true fresh scare that she has created. One different from the rest she had marked, no this. This would be a scar that she isn't so sure that the gentle teen would be able to forgive.

Her breath catches in her throat at the devastation written sorely across the features of the brunette. She can feel her fingers start to twitch towards the hand of the unblinking teen, but she doesn't let herself touch the girl. She doesn't get to. Being able to enjoy and dissolve the worries of the day with the touch that's so gentle, and sweet so full of warmth. She doesn't deserve it at the moment and from now on she doesn't think she should be able to either. Throat tightened painfully, head pounding to the point she's sure it'd burst at any given moment, her heart feels as though it was continuously stopping all circulation and starting with every silent second from the brunette. She didn't care that ribcage was suffering from the constantly being hammered on. In this case she couldn't care any less of her mental or physical health. She cared for the brown eyes swimming with so much hurt, and disappointment.

She's without a doubt evil.

"D—did you really say that to me?"

The conclusion she has is painful, because as of now her anger is fueling her mouth.

"Honestly you couldn't save yourself one year? Every time it's the same with you. You pick some asshole to date, only to have your feelings shitted on. I'm done Vega, I can't protect you from everything. You're on your own. Why can't you see that everyone you date is only trying to get into your pants. I will never know. I don't care. Don't come to me in tears because he broke your heart. I mean it Vega. I'm done."

She's seething by the end of her rant.

In all truth the look of pain etched into the brunettes face, as if her words are causing the girl physical pain makes her want to endure every possible death. To make herself fall victim to anything that can cause one harm. She has to turn her head away from the girl, because she's panting. Panting at how she can't fathom why the look is causing her physical pain to the point where she feels as though she is being hammered in by a three ton mallet. It makes it twice a worse, when a small smile is plastered on the girl's lips.

"You're right. You are an asshole, but I can't find it in me to completely disregard the fact that you're you...and that alone makes it that much harder to force myself not to forgive you."

Her voice is calm—Delicate even.

She thinks it's the mounting stress of worrying for the girl so much that has her worked up to the boiling point. She's angry, so frustrated that there is nothing she can possibly do or say that will deter her away. As much as she has hurt the brunette there has not been one occasion where she hasn't been forgiven. Maybe that's what she needs; To be banished away from the girl, to keep pushing the boundaries until one day she's pushed too hard. To the point that they cannot act like they can forgive and forget. Maybe, there's a possibility that the key is exactly forcing the line—

"That's not the answer and you know it. It would only result in permanent damage."

It doesn't come as much of a shock that the brunette is keen on objecting to something she had thought. Tori is staring at her with kind eyes of forgiveness. She nods feeling the numbness creep in. There is nothing like having something you know you don't deserve. Her gaze is now averted and her mind is stilled. Five. Four. Three...She doesn't get to two, because the bell has rung and the few that has decided to watch them have dispersed. She hasn't moved and doesn't make any indication that she will, but Tori does.

"I'm sorry."

It's barley a whisper, but Tori hears it and she nods reaching out to gently squeeze her hand with firm assurance.

For the first time the brunettes gaze shifts to the textbook being held in a death clutch. Mechanically she lifts the item out towards the brunette whose shutting her locker with an air of comfort surrounding her. The brunette isn't inclined to send her a grateful smile, but of course Tori does just that, and more. There's a lingering feeling of a fire being showered upon her with a force so ferocious she feels as though she could drown in any hot inferno imaginable. Her fingers trace over the spec of skin dangerously close to her lips where she can still manage to connect the light stomach, and reeling mind from the effects of the lips that were gingerly placed on her cheek a few moments prior.

...

She's leaning on an unidentified locker when the thunderous footsteps approach her. Taking a sip of her coffee that is ripped from her grasp the second it leaves her lips. She exhales dutifully.

"You've gone too far. I swear if you don't do something, anything to make this better I swear—" Andre demands with a furious scowl.

"Andre calm down."

Beck intrudes. It has her raising an eyebrow towards the Canadian deciding to come to her defence; One she has no denial in debating that she does not deserve. He sends her a penetrating frown and grabs one of the still fuming, dark skinned companion, forearms.

"Fix it Jade."

...

The note is short—too short. Yet it's her, and completely understating her guilt; If anyone would understand it would be Tori. She's merely pleading she has not overstepped their emotional boundaries she has not in the past.

 _I was a dick-Scratch that I'm an asshole, and you probably know that by now...Or maybe you've always known. Either way the things—the words I said yesterday were completely shitty. I'm sorry._

Features creased with a deliberate concentration in gauging the reaction from the distance between their lockers, Jade clutches the fresh cup with a vice grip. Her posture tense with the anticipation she had not ever predicted to have, she intakes an enormous amount of oxygen when those brown eyes connect with her own. She watches the leisure smile that's tentative with a valid reason send her a response. Legs carrying her and the second coffee towards the spirited teen—Jade winces when the black rose is waved into the air with a generous amusement.

"How much money?"

The brunette teases with an enthralling entertainment; averting her stare to the tile, Jade squares her shoulders and forces her chest to protrude with courage, confidence, not a bit of shame in her stance.

"Forty: Two cans of spray paint, an overpriced red rose, and ten white roses. Including the hazelnut coffee with an amount of cream and sugar that would put the organs of Cat to shame."

There's a breathy laughter that echoes a delicate melody in the crowded hall—her shoulders fall a bit due to the deathly heat crawling up her neck. Even then her mouth twitches with the intention to indulge the brunette.

* * *

Harmony had been the absolute drive that steered the absurd—mini convoy. An everlasting foundation that has been set into place the freshman that they once were. It had been the obscenity that had lead them into the grace of the other. A rare occasion that had been tampered with fate; Or at least a person that the unintentional influence that had bonded the pair of six teens together. It did not seem to be an impact rather than the out right odd moment that had been the defining feature. Instead it had most to do with the obnoxious tendencies of a well-known student that appeared preferably out of thin air. One that had been at the time and present boisterous with an air of misplaced confidence. It had never occurred to either of them that the truth as to why they had even met was due to the inconsiderate older Vega.

While it hadn't been the miniscule points of their parents having made each of them late, because there was a valid reason as to why each of them had made it a purpose to muscle their way through the wave of free period upperclassmen—Point was that it seemed that Trina Vega had made it her sole responsibility to lead each of them into the graces of the one another. It had been the utter stroke of fate that seemed to to deem the sister of the unofficial reason as to why the group came to be had been able to have a reserved place for herself. Even with the two years of establishing a bond and forming a systematic harmony that had become a natural instinct when dealing with the tribulations to becoming a sheltered group it seemed that the brunette had done what they had accomplished in far less time. She had a knack for exterminating each of there suspicion with nothing more than unknowingly flaunting her kind smile. One that had reassured each of them that while she was of foreign lands, there was no need to tread hesitantly.

Infectious had become an extreme wonder despite the clash of personalities, a sort of mantra that had bounded around the circle until it reached it's finale verdict. Infuriating; there would be an unspoken law that had become of them. If there were to ever be a force that had tempted to decimate their harmony, it would prove to be the problem of everyone until the issue that had threatened their balance was no more. Her steps are tentative, slow and deliberate. Attentive as the familiar figure was, did nothing to indicate she had heard of the arrival.

"A divorce."

Her companion spares her a nod scorned with confirmation.

In preparation she grasp the textbook with a vice hold that alerts the red head and earns her a creased forehead. Their trek across the hall lands them a particular spot that seems to aid them in their quest to render the brunette of an escape route. Andre holds the teen with a loose arm around her shoulders meant for comfort, and Jade has the ability to notice the brunette seems to be albeit anxious. Scanning the circle she lets out a heavy breath as she takes in Beck to the left of the Tori and Robbie standing to the front of her with a wave of awkwardness that forces her to clamp her jaw shut. No one offers a greeting to their arrival, and it's a silence that is so profoundly rare among them even her own feet have shuffled while her fingers tap an insistent beat on the strap of her messenger bag.

"Zip up your pants Shapiro."

It's an attempt to ease the suffocating environment. With the beat of wandering minds, she hears a resounding laughter filling her ears, and a faint moan of embarrassment. She doesn't quench her success until she catches a distant smile twitching the edges of the half-Latina, but she does let the smirk come forth with satisfaction. It's far from bordering their 'normal', but it eases the stiffened postures. Robbie blinks with flushed cheeks, but seems content the air has cleared a bit even at his expense.

"It's fine Robbie, my brother has his down all the time. He says it helps him get the digits..."

Cat pauses for a moment, as if contemplating the oddness of the statement, quoted fingers hovering in the air.

"Though he doesn't get girls numbers as much as he wants to."

She has learned to never subject to the eerie tales and dwell on the uneasy twitch in her stomach. Letting his mouth open to form a response that is not quite insensitive, Beck clamps his lips shut and declines the opportunity to quell his weary wonderment. Andre does let a low whistle escape into existence, before he's nodding his head in vain to cease the awkward mute.

"Yeah...So, Beck was telling me and Tori all about this hockey team with eagles or something. Apparently they're playing the S—Skaters? Stars, yeah, yeah tonight and he scored some tickets. So I'm gonna tag along. Anyone else care to share their plans for this fine evening?"

Her smirk widens upon taking notice to the irritation mounting in the way Beck runs a firm hand through his thick tresses.

"Seriously? I said the Blackhawks lost to the Bruins yesterday, and I got us tickets to the Kings and Stars tonight. Taking offence that you guy's never pay attention when I talk about hockey seems completely absurd now."

Andre offers him nothing more than an indifferent raise of his shoulders.

"Well I found how to make modifications to a Pear Pad, and make it have a better functioning search engine, and—"

"Oh! Sam and I are gonna check out the new teen club that opened near the apartment."

Suspecting the deflating excitement at being sentenced to his plans having been disregarded, weren't too much of a concern as the curly haired teen spares a hopeful glance to the silent brunette, she stretches her arm enough to grasp the thin fabric of a purple blouse. It garners the attention of the distant senior, and leaves a staining crease in her brow as Jade wrenches the brunette until their shoulders are touching.

Circumstances set into the previous year, she would have received a bout of curious stares if she had been caught winding an arm around the slim waist pulling the brunette intently near. Yet the action does nothing but obtain her the releasing approval of her peers.

"While you losers do whatever freaks do. I'm having a day filled with homework. Something you people never seem to do much of, and I'm letting Tori assist me with AP Physics, since she seems to love ranting on and on about the course so much."

The body leaning into her frame seeps into her cloths until there's a slim chance she would ever recover from the token of appreciation. It's rather the way in which there's an opportunity to relieve the rounded corners of a wrinkled forehead, instead of the hiss of excitement replenishing previous hesitancy.

"As in a study date?"

An admiration for the implicated hitch of a dark eyebrow swirls within her, and though an odd sense of pride for the boy to even have the courage to muster the scorching tease doesn't overthrow her scowl. She doesn't respond, and either the pointed stares she's receiving from the group or the expectant expression from the brunette by her side had her stomach aching with a detected flutter. Her mouth parts, and her tounge swipes over her lips, and even with the brunette wrapped in an one armed embrace she cannot find the confidence to deny nor confirm the inquiry. Her peripheral vision catches the clenched jawline, and strained lips attempting to force a smile. The breath that escapes her throat is fuelled with discomfort, and she cast her eyes to the tiled floor.

"Whatever you want to call it," Jade let's the familiar smirk edge onto her lips. "But you and Beck can enjoy your disgusting bromance, while Cat is hanging out with her aggressive roommate, and Robbie's plans are still irrelevant, and leave Tori to me."

It's spoken with a sarcastic tone, that still bares a peak of sincerity—Still it's an invoiced promise that she would indeed attempt to have the brunettes spirit lift even, just a bit. The beaming grins she ends up receiving has her eyes rolling with mild irritation. Tori shifts slightly, before retracting herself from the goth's sife, and Jade blinks. Waiting for the teen to make the obvious fib to escape the group.

"I should head to class. Mrs. Osborne practically hovers over the door and waits for my arrival. I swear that lady is planning my murder, and all thanks to Robbie of course."

The male in accusation opens his mouth to object, but decides not to. It had been a topic for the group for an entire week, after they had found out that the boy not only made Tori late to the creative writing class, but had the misfortune of his biology project run amongst the class room. Story short, the live beetles he had practically guilt tripped the brunette into placing into her bag as a sort of insurance that the container wouldn't break, had escaped the un-closed lid and interrupted the class. Resulting in a months worth of detention for the brunette, and the middle aged teacher waiting for the brunette with a blunt scowl, and obvious disdain that had anything to do with Tori. Still the attempted joke had been spoken without much humour, and Jade frowned.

"I can walk you." She mutters.

"It's fine I can manage on my own."

Eyes flicking to the brunette without hitch. She nearly concedes to the dismissive tone when she spots the defiance in the brown irises. Yet instead she lets the stare down continue for a moment, and nods.

"I don't remember it being a question."

Tori merely stares for a lingering beat, before shifting her attention to the other four watching them with mild discomfort. Sending them a genuine smile, that while lacks any excitement, it brings them a sort of assurance that the situation isn't too bad as originally thought. Though they do grimace when she sends them a farewell and walks away without a single glance towards the goth. Jade lets a heavy breath leave her lips, and starts to trail after the brunette with a leisure back peddle.

"I'll...I'll, handle her. See you losers later."

"Take care of her okay, Jade?"

Beck calls after her, and if it weren't for the mutual care for the brunette, she would have found offence to the request.

"Don't worry Beckett. None of you should. She'll be fine. She's...Vega."

...

"I'm fine."

Is the words she hears once she is within distance of the brunette.

"You're not fine."

Her words are caught inside the between their feet slapping onto the tile. They're mixed into a hall that bares a few stragglers that seem to have an off period, or some students that have decided to forego classes. Scowl in place due to the half-latina is not wavering in pace.

"Then I'm okay." Tori responds.

"Vega," Easing a sharp breath through her teeth, she manages to steal the flippant wrist attached to the moving arm—Unexpecting the veracity in which the brunette would whip around. Her eyelashes flutter against her cheek and then narrow in order to make true of the sight.

With the fresh liquid daring to fall from the brown orbs staring into her own, Jade cannot halt her features twisting into concern. Her hand limply releases the teens wrist and without consciously allowing herself; her feet take a mute step forward.

"Tori—"

"Jade...Just—I'm trying to make sense of this. Not like I actually can," A tiny sigh and a hand pushing the dishevelled strands of hair away. "I'll be fine. Okay?"

Eyebrows furrowing at the unvoiced request. She inclines her head.

"You promised to help me study tonight. Don't screw me over."

Offering a hesitant smile; Receiving one that is far too weary to be thrown into existence by Tori—It's a smile none the less.

...

"I hate her."

The blunt statement halts her hands from continuing it's intention to finish the essay. Her eyes search around the dimly lit room, across the various items that litter the shelves that demand attention, and settle on the figure nestled around numerous text books. If she squinted hard enough to scrutinize the laptop, she would without a doubt find the entire document blank. Even if wanted the intentions to stand to be muted it would have been foiled by the ominous creak of her desk chair.

It's a fantastic thing that it hadn't even been a consideration.

Stepping over the two carelessly thrown bags discarded on the floor, she pads over to the bed tentatively. Lowering herself onto her knees in order to be able be at perspective with the angry girl. At first her attempts to make eye contact with the brunette are futile. It's only when her fingers brush away the stray hairs from the lazy bun, behind tiny ears. Her hands rest on the heated cheeks whose warmth indicates a massive breakdown in the near future. Sighing softly, Jade shakes her head in objection despite the girls eyes casted away.

"No you don't, you're hurt, disappointed, and frustrated. She's your mom." Pausing with hesitation. "You love her."

"She cheated." Tori chokes out a handful. " _She_. _Cheated_ on him Jade."

It's expected; the hands clutching her shirt, the fluid liquid seeping into the fabric. It's an uncomfortable position so she gently and precisely lifts herself onto the bed. Jade lets the tears continue to flow while the quiet sobs juts into her chest with a firm slice.

* * *

 _ **The inference to the affair was too delectable to pass on.**_ ** _Jade is in a stage where she has to figure some important things out...So Yeah she'll be out of character. If not a little, then...Yeah well alright._**

 ** _PS: I'll let you guys try to figure out why I had Tori forgive Jade so easily._**

 ** _Write Ya Later ;)_**


	5. Night Changes: December Part I

_**Yeah I'm aware Christmas was months ago, and is months from now. Either way. Let's get it.**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes: December Part I**_

"She needs someone to be there for her. It's obvious she wants that person to be you."

Having to curl her hands into a proper fist and then un-clench them in order to regain her composure. Her shoulders broaden while her eyes are cast once again towards the script nestled on her desk. The silence in the room is not inevitable seeing as she tickled and tampered with the lock for the exact fact that it would bare the quiet that seemed to become a necessity due to the prior three weeks.

There's an audible breath that escalates into the air with a certainty—promise that the next words instilled into existence would come forth with a weary burden. One that she could and would bare without fault.

"What she truly needs is neither to yours or my knowledge. She doesn't need anything other than everyone to stop hassling and crowding over her shoulder. For the constant breath trickling down her spine to stop with all the damn expectations."

When the door frame had shouted with a squeal, and firm hiss. She had not anticipated the intruder to be Trina; none the less when the woman had announced that she would forego a year of college in order to travel and attend some escapade with a convoy of the other senior graduates. Her apprehensive scowl that pierced the older sister of the very reason for the impromptu visit—or rather confrontation, spoke it's volume in her surmise.

Another moment trickles around them, before there is a manicured hand with an intricate pattern embedded into the fine polish terminates all intentions to conclude the editions to the screenplay. Scratching her cheek without a twitch of her features that are pleading to distort into another indication to her ire, she reassures herself with an aversion to the various musical instruments strewn across the chamber.

"I haven't been in the house much aside from the few holiday visits. I haven't been able to hear the arguments, the screaming, accusations, or whatever else that comes along with finding out your spouse cheated on you. I haven't been there. Tori has. I'll do my job. I expect you to do yours Jade."

Lips pursed, stomach churning, breath hitching, vision blurring—inch for inch—she stands. With a riveting and heaving inhale her fingers come in contact with a hard expanse, a collarbone. Without a faithful foundation to grind her own emotional turmoil into, it seeps into her words with defiance.

"It's," A firm shove with her finger. "Not my," Feral exhale emitting from within her with so devastating vibration. "Job."

Leering eyes peering at her enhance the brutality of the vexation pouring into her. Tearing her body from deep within the personal space of the brunette, and shoveling the scattered papers into her bag, the scream threatening to shatter her lungs does not simmer with reputation.

"You have no entitlement to what I shoulder and what I don't. None of you do. I'm represented as a selfish bitch and that's exactly what I am. So the shitty family delima, is your fucking problem to handle. Your fucking problem to burden is being here to comfort your sister. She's your little sister. Leave me out of the damn equation. Vega. Is. Not. My. Damn. Concern at the moment."

There's a venomous flame that does not waver from all decree. Her throat itches and burns with the sentence creating a formidable heat scorching down her vocal cords. The deceiving silence is tormenting with pressure.

"You're not only a hypocrite. You are a liar, Jade."

...

The mischievous pollution soothes her nerves but does nothing to ease her raw throat. The two buds that have met the heel of her boot are a reminder that the cigarette between her lips should not be welcomed with much ease. Even then the havoc has won the war and demands to be tended to. She cannot fathom having to have the miraculous stick crumbling underneath her foot without it's use being shriveled.

It's her point—the turmoil that had an inevitable combust due to the burden. A very weight settled into her shoulders because she had not felt the obligation, rather than the detected need for her assistance. She had not denied the initial obvious shout for her help, nor had the persistence to forego the opportunity reached her. It still fails to. It's more so of the depth in which she feels the sorrow flourishing at every ounce and every pint of the dimmed smile that has been a natural occurrence.

There's a much more sophistication that would describe the emotions—none of them seem to become fitting.

It's a necessity; her own mind and heart are entwined with another at the moment.

They've been for awhile—connected to her own happiness. Or maybe even her ability to move forward.

...

"Hi Jade."

The voice sheds a layer of guilt that had previously drilled a permanent taunt in her chest. The curious face peals another away when she does not answer the greeting; the last is torn after a small smile is forming on the teens lips when she merely stares.

"Hi." Jade responds dryly.

Butt landing a spot next to the brunette, back huddling against the locker. Tori catches wind of her scent of the sudden frown gracing the sharpened features. Risking a peak at the same face that will soon twist and bend on the account of an informative lecture had she met the stare. Jade shoves the playwright into the hands of the unsuspecting brunette, who in return lifts an eyebrow towards the goth.

"Don't spill any bullshit if you hate it."

She has no quarrels in believing the brunette will speak true. The provocation is met with a delicate balance between a snort and reprimanding frown due to her language no doubt.

Her eyes do not leave the face once the concentration settles in—neither does she when the second page is read through with minor comments and a few vague opinions on a characteristic.

"You've taken over my entire life." Sentence muttered and buried under the various conversations dominating the hall.

The neck that slowly cranes in her direction with a furrowed and concentrated frown sends her a curiosity that bares the answer.

"Did you say something?"

"No."

Is her reply to the narrowed eyes that announces a riveting tremble through her chest.

* * *

She had never even considered being in the predicament in a lifetime over. That may very well be a lie—Scratch the infinite denial mounting as the current seconds begin to sleep into the anxious flutter in her chest, and terrible thrill scorching her veins. This is as scenario she had anticipated that would occur, a possibility that it should have happened moons ago, either or it's an inevitability that has caught her in it's clutch. She cannot escape. It may have not been thoroughly viewed from her perspective in this manner, but it was bound to occur. It's either demolish any ounce of happiness that has been prolonged, decimate the holiday season that's even the reason she's in the predicament, or even become victim to the underlying pain that would welcome her while the hurtful orbs bore into her.

The very same irises darted with specs of honey that can only be seen with keen inspection, or exceptional hours spent embedding the eyes into memory. A pair that's currently watching intently—waiting for her move in the situation that's been presented to them, rather her. Her cheek is still haunted with the uncaring heat shocking her internal mechanisms. It's the silence of the kiss that had been placed so gingerly on her cooling demeanour that had turned sour due to the random stranger placing a mistletoe connected to a foreign stick, above their heads.

"Come on love...That won't due in my country. It's odd that this type of tradition is relevant in your country. It's completely harmless. No harm nothing done. Don't be shy. It's the holidays!"

The cheerful and heavily accented voice rips through the unblinking stare she's been thrust in with the silent brunette. Breaking the unraveling stare in order to scowl at the middle aged woman and the other male that seems to be her husband by the fond smile he's quietly watching the woman with. The both strangers are dressed head to toe with Christmas sweaters and gloves despite the lack of chill that has yet to overtake the night. It's similar to her companion, and has her scowl deepening.

"Listen lady you can take your little—"

Her sentence is halted and does on her tounge the instant a set of warm and soft hands are cradling her face. Startled with the undoubted intention and implications the gesture speaks. Her widened pupils locate the brown irises that seem far too calm and a little serene for the uncomfortable moment. Mouth still opened in the faintest of ways only to clamp shut when a mute flicker of determination is the first emotion she can perceive. Her nostrils are infiltrated by a sweet scent of the prior cinnamon gingerbread that was made with a persistent pout, and the old dust that presented itself when she was forced to help with sorting through old ornaments.

The warmth that settles is indescribable—yet an odd taste of home skirts over her. It may have many to do with the faintest peppermint that seems to be permanent in her nose. Or the pair of lips that are stilled in movements with a gentle pressure applied that's enough to have her mind shutting down all coherence that would appear when she describes everything wrong with this moment.

It's so delicate she cannot even bother to scream in frustration for the elderly couple that's clapping in joy and utter happiness—they've provoked an event she would have loved to have prolonged even more.

The mischievous shut of her eyes even after there's a familiar voice tuning in to a short conversation with the two strangers beg to differ; the mourning ache believes her still shot movements, the beaming, and hyperactive heartbeat strumming along with the soft vocal cords that's so smooth and sweet seems to affirm. Opening her eyes with a stuttering blink, she's witness to a gentle and caring smile and she can't help the way she feels her own lips curving into a tiny hint of one.

"Have a...What is the saying, an uh," The grayish hair is rustled with a breeze as the corner of his eyebrows crinkle in concentration.

"Merry Christmas." Jade provides with a distance formulating her voice.

"Ah yes. Have a m—mery chrismas."

He repeats a bit shaky, and with a genuine intent. Voice still thick with an accent she cannot quite place. He carries a generous amount of sincerity when he gently pulls the woman from an embrace with an equally sincere brunette. The couple leaves with a boisterous grin and empty duffel bags. Through narrowed eyes can she come to the conclusion that somehow they were the cause of the endless stream of Christmas lights that light the long railing that travels the length of the pond underneath the bridge they currently stand upon.

Once the chattering of the pair are lost within translation she is reminded of their trek they were making before the pair interrupted. Sneaking a glance at the unmoving brunette that is watching as the two silhouettes fade in distance, Jade lessens her clenched hands and offer a mute nudge to the stoic still teen. Regretting the action as soon as the lost irises meet with her own, she takes a step away from Tori's personal space as once she realizes they've been close enough to feel the other's breath.

Clearing her throat that tightens a second later when the brunette continues the path they've decided on wordless. She follows. Even if her stomach has been robbed of the somersaults and replaced with an emptiness creeping with every moment spent without acknowledging the obvious reason for the new and heavy atmosphere.

She doesn't try either.

"Sometimes it doesn't bother me you know."

The incentive that goaded her into delving into the true meaning behind the blunt statement frightens her.

"And most times it does." She replies stiffly.

Tori inclines her head merely to affirm that which is undoubted.

"Well we don't make it any easier than it should be. Or maybe that's why things are so... deliberate and...melodramatic."

With a quirk of her lips she shoots her eyes to the lite side of the park that had been done by the city. It's even balanced and dare she say charming for the tiny remote park that was hidden behind-the-scenes. She doesn't know wether or not she should dwell on the conversation that's been an inevitability, because the brunette had described their... inability to take action melodramatic. Amusement seeps into her when she's reminded that they are indeed that and more.

"Or maybe that's why the dynamic was so screwed from the moment we met."

Tori agrees with a delicate hum.

"We're pretty pathetic then." The half-latina informs with an easy grin.

"It's been around roughly three years and I still have a nonexistent faith in hope and you're practically spewing it out without much effort," Shoving her hands into her pocket she dips her head. "Of course you're still pathetic."

A dutiful push to her arm garners a husky chuckle from her mouth. Stealing a glance at the goth, Tori smiles softly.

"Like you've been any better." It's teasing.

"Then if I'm anywhere near you," Jade pause. "Then I do have more to hope for than initially estimated."

Faltering in step, Tori faces her with unreadable eyes. Jade follows suit and she's once again startled by the enthralling beauty of the teen that had been impatient with her hours prior even though it's the brunette that had been ambitious about finding the perfect scarf and beige beanie that would marinade with the season, despite the utter lack of chilly weather.

"How about that."

"What a bombshell." Jade adds softly.

* * *

Having to throw another scented mistletoe Sinjin had created and attained the authorization to promote the business he had generated from learning of the appeal it had to other's; proved to be a nuisance. It irritated her—created a frustration that had been building since the school had begun the decoration process. Even more so when she was greeted with an absurd amount of those decorations littering the surface of her locker.

"Hi Jade!"

The terse greeting is hyper and jovial. Her eyes disconnect from the garbage can and onto the beaming red head whose arms are encircling an enormous box. Despite the size, Cat is carrying the item with ease, indicating it's weight; still, it's an odd sight. There's a mischievous twinkle shinning in those otherwise innocent brown orbs when her pierced brow raises. A silence wraps around them with the red head merely staring with an unnerving smile.

"Well. Are you going to tell me what you want?" She demands after a moment's past.

"Sikowits wanted me to set up this box of decorations in his classroom. I was wondering if you'd help me?" Cat responds with a hopeful grin.

Perturbed that the girl would even consider requesting her aid, Jade let's her eyes scour the hall. Her disadvantage would be the overall sensitive state the teen had a tendency to be around the holiday. She would have to find another candidate if she were to decline swiftly.

"Where's your little stalker? Or any of the other losers?"

"Robbie is filming for the yearbook. Andre said he had to help write another song for the winter play, I can't find Beck. And Tori told me you'd say yes if I asked you." Cat informs with a protruded lip.

The latter has her scowling with a resigned nod a near mute 'fine. The question as to why the teacher would even enlist the red head to do the duty enters her mind as the cheerful squeal invades her ears.

"Sam went to Seattle yesterday," Cat speaks and Jade remains silent. "So my nana came and helped with the Christmas decorations. She even bought the cute little chihuahua she got...But then it bit her and she had to go to the emergency room to get stitches."

Lips twitching into a smirk at the unfortunate event—some things never changed and her sense of humour surly wouldn't. Opening the classroom door for the red head struggling to balance the box and reaching for the door knob, she rolls her eyes when the red head beams and skips into the classroom. She would say she's surprised that when she does enter, there's already four other teens sitting in a semi circle. Her first instinct is to turn on her heels, and leave off to do the whatever she could do that is not what is about to aspire. Cat sets the item down before taking a seat next to Robbie, and with a befuddled glare directed towards the brunette watching her with a smug smirk she takes the only other open seat that's conveniently located to the left of Tori.

"No, no, and no." Scowling at the other's around the circle, Jade flicks open her bag and predictably grumbles as she moves her attention to her phone.

"Well you wouldn't have sat down if you didn't want to do it," Tori reminds while snatching the device from the goth's hands. "And don't be so rude." The brunette scolds.

"Vega..." She warns without much malicious intent.

She receives nothing other than a shoulder turned towards Andre. With a scowl she's wearily thrust into what seems to be a meeting that was formed without her knowledge. Entertained momentarily at the now chestnut hair that's been constantly sending her hands an invitation, she let's her fingers twirl a few strands of hair with a mellowed frown. It's—very soft, delicate and as silky as she's not imagined. Heaven forbid she actually has pictured running her fingers through the brown tresses.

"So Tori here wants us to decorate the class for Sikowits and has a very bright idea to give back to the teachers or every staff member of the school and purchase them a present."

Smirking at Beck's rather unenthusiastic, and doubtful sarcasm, she revels in knowing that she's not the only one not even remotely interested in whatever will occur.

"It's possible!" Tori argues.

"In what universe Tor? Who even has that type of money to put up? And when you've found them you can request a very hefty donation to the Andre Harris Los Angeles dreams foundation."

"I found someone to put up three thousand for Well Wishes, it won't—"

"You left that little girl dangling." Jade interrupts.

It earns her a glare and then the brunette slaps her hands away from her hair, which is only futile when she continues toying with the strands of hair after their short lived glowering.

"Besides we're all artists and—"

"Robbie can't be classified as one."

Smirking when an exasperated scowl is thrown in her direction. It's wiped from her face moments later when the brunette forces her chair a few feet away and she's left isolated and entertainment taken. Rendered to propping her head up with her chin resting on her palm, and silently hearing the resounding snickers, an irritated sigh escapes her lips.

"My brother wasn't classified as a sane person until last year. Anything can happen." Cat tries to assuage the pouting teen's spirit's.

"Anyway. We are _all_ artists her in one way or another. We can make them something, like a plaque with all of their names on it. Or like we could even build them—"

"Oh! Yeah a statue. Like we could paint it pink, with purple bunnies and—"

"Little baby dolphins—"

"No!"

Jade denies either input or rather the outburst is directed towards the curly haired Beck heaving an even breath while running a hand through his yet to be trimmed hair; it's something she's been complaining about since the end of their junior year. She readies herself for the ever increasing chances for the moment he tames the situation.

"A plaque can work. I don't think the art majors are doing an exam this year, and I'm sure if we chip in some extra hours and ask for their help they'll agree. It's not impossible. It's doable and we have most of resources." Beck offers.

"Where'd you get _we_ from? I'm not investing my well spent time living for a staff that couldn't care any less of I were to eat a dirty gym sock."

The comment gains various murmurs and curious opinions. There's no objection when she reaches for her bag and swings it over her shoulder and swivels around on the heels of her feet. A hand halts her from her swift retreat when she has the handle in her grasp. The mischievous lurch of her stomach is a confirmation to who the perpetrator is. Prepared to have a silent argument that's within the near future, she spins around. Not at all expecting the hopeful smile, and kind eyes manipulating her head. Blinking even when there's a hand shoving her phone at her and even when the brunette has turned away and continues the previous conversation.

"I'll text you about what you're missing out on."

It's such a mischievous yet sincere grin that haunts her even when she's rounded a few corners. She's made it without much thought and she's in front of the large staircase at the entrance of the school before her features harden and she's begun retracting her steps. With a snort Jade swivels back around to make the short trek to the classroom, and when she does reach the door, there's a wall of laughter that greets her ears. It makes her even more irritated than before.

With a grumble she snatches the door open and digs her heels into the ground while grunting into her seat that's been scooted even closer to the brunette than previously. Tori shoots her a noticeable smirk, while everyone else remains silent. Amusement clear in their eyes.

"Hi," Tori greets with a smugness that's all too confident for her liking.

"Hi." She replies. Disdain clear in her tone.

"So plaque?" Andre questions.

"Yup." Beck pops the 'p.'

"Sure thang."

"Tori will you bake cookies?" Cat ask hopeful of the answer.

It garners various curious and hopeful frowns directed towards the half-latina who in return nods, grin in place.

"Yay!"

All eyes turn to her and more importantly they're oozing amusement. She catches the pure smirk still thrown towards her and a huff announces her agitation, while she throws herself back into fiddling with the brunettes hair.

"Whatever." She murmurs.

The eye roll isn't as slick as it was, but she supposes Tori intended it to be obvious.

"Wait then what's the box for?" Beck questions with furrowed eyebrows.

Tori sends a confused frown towards the grinning red head that's twiddling a strand of red hair.

"Oh it's nothing."

Cat informs with innocent eyes and an insane giggle. It earns a few uncomfortable moans of endearment, and a small smirk from Jade.

* * *

 _ **Always the dummy. Either way. Let's get those lovely and inquisitive comments that even has me learning new things about these two. So...**_

 _ **P.S: I guess they talked it about it huh? Not really though. But eh, it's something.**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	6. Night Changes: December Part II

_**Sup...**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes: December Part II**_

Having to drive to school during the middle of the night had never even been a common sense in her mind. Well that could be for any sane human being. Still she hadn't entertained the idea since she had been planning the initial prank she had indulged in when a teacher had rubbed her irritation without remorse. Though she had not followed through with the intricate plan she had created, it's blueprint still clung to a sheet of porcelain paper. So upon having an older woman that had graduated over a year prior send her a worried text and anxious call pleading her to search for the absent little sister, it made her a bit skeptical about the sketchy parking lot that presented itself during the school's evening hours.

A segment of her brain is a little more apprehensive about the future moments when a familiar dark blue vehicle seems to be in the exact same spot since she last seen it hours ago. Scanning the looming building and entering from the unsecured window, courtesy of their disoriented teacher. Concern was an able emotion that swept over her mounting anticipation. It could have been the dimly lite halls or the eerie silence that permitted the atmosphere. Despite the initial mechanisms and logic from the countless hours spent examining horror movies screaming for her to turn around and head home to curl into the soothing warmth her blankets provided, she continues her trek around the school.

The search is not halted nor too demanding—the smooth melodic piano notes flooding the hall on a corner turn bares it's confirmation. It takes all but one peek at chestnut hair thrown into a messy bun for her to unearth a heavy breath that relieves the utter ache she can identify. The creaking door does not alert the brunette and for that she can witness the hunched shoulders and scrambled notes without fear of the teen attempting to conceal the truthful emotions. A minute elapsed before a throttled note enters the air and a hindered scream invades her ears. With keen examination of the brunettes appearance, she catches a slob of paint tainting the teens shriveled sweat pants. It a moments lapse of even breathing and an absence of any other sound.

Deciding to announce her presence by shutting the door with a firm click. She remains silent when the brunette spins around on the bench with parted lips—she doesn't know wether or not the lack of anxiety displayed on the girl's features should be alarming. Tori seems to formulate a correct sentence before her mouth is clamped shut and she's turning around without another sound. Approaching the bench with uncaring feet before shuddering next to the brunette when their shoulders brush slightly. She's relatively thankful the brunette is wearing a jacket in the cool room. Intently watching the unmoving wall that's splashed with various colors outlining diverse instruments, her peripheral catches wandering fingers dancing across the piano keys without weight.

Her own hands come to rest on the porcelain keys and she cannot fathom the notes that are available to hear moments later. Delicately she applies the proper amount of pressure that had been drilled into memory from her lectures as a child. Remembering the melodic tune that are inspiring the tips of her fingers at the moment evades her.

" _These wound won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real..._ " Her voice is heavy with unuse, but her vocal cords grumbles past the thick cough. " _There's just too much that time cannot erase_ —"

Trembling hands create a faulted note and muted tune. The pair cover her own pale and a compelling shade differential between them have her head lifting from the piano and deliberately creeping up to meet the brown orbs watching her intently. There's an identical emotion swirling around that bares a resemblance to the devastating and anxious heat that follows her whenever the brunette has been thrust into her mind—it's always. Her stomach lurches when her eyes remove their attentive stare and onto quivering lips. The hovering exhaustion that is unwavering a commitment from their lips connecting momentarily three weeks prior, cling to her still exhilarated mind. Logic is an illusive concept when her head begins a descend from the few inches she has over her companion.

The myriad of deceptive thoughts about the current hands delicately cradling her cheeks—a pair that have halted her unruly intention. She orders her eyes to remain shut. They are coerced by smooth thumbs tracing a diligent pattern and she has to generate an intact and stoic face when those sorrowful irises dart around her face in search of something. Clenching her jaw when the brunette releases her and turns back to stare at the wall with a woeful smile. Watching the profile of the brunette without care of the consequences, and despite the rejection she cannot help but delve into the alleviation, and minor fear that floods her.

"Brooding alone isn't your thing. Especially when it's one thirty in the morning." Jade mumbles softly.

Tori turns towards her and tucks a strand of hair that must have strayed from the sloppy bun she had thrown together in her haste to leave. A tiny and sincere smile curves the teens lips, and she evades staring at the brilliant attraction this time around.

"You have bed hair," Tori replies imprudently. "It's cute."

Nostrils flaring by impatience. Jade bawls her hands into a fist when Tori merely is so dismissive of her comment. The anxiety she had felt when speaking to the teens older sister while hustling to find her car keys reminds her of the true depth of the concern she has for the brunette—physically and emotionally. So her eyes disregard her irritation and soften with care.

"I care about you."

There's an absolute part of her brain that demands time to turn back and have her mute when the words are uttered from her lips, because Tori peers at her through a strained smile and quivering eyes. The liquid building in those darkened brown irises will them to withhold the liquid; that's the moment she remembers that this stubborn and natural beauty has the burden of being the solid foundation of a league of people who in return thrive from her unwavering commitment to support them.

She would—rather she wants to alleviate that burden and become someone the brunette can depend on. That truth threatens her own nature and it terrifies and haunts her all the same. Anomalous demands her head when searching for a proper sentence or action that would give the teen solace, and that describes the overall peculiar concept of caring for someone she's always deviated from the rest.

"And...I want to help you Tori." She even crumbles underneath the tearing eyes in order to convey her desperation.

"I, Just. I need your help. I'm being a hypocrite and I don't care—Stop hiding from me."

Tori responds with a short nod.

"So cry. I don't care when or where. You cry. Because everyone depends on you and then they can find a moment to actually see that you can't always be Tori. You're stubborn but you're still someone who sobs over romantic comedies. So cry because you've been screwed over."

The tears are silent and her arms itch to comfort the brunette, but Tori remains still. Alternatively her fingers continue their work on the piano to generate a soothing strain. Recounting the varying tones and notes flooding into her eardrums, she reminds herself that when a particular strand sounds a little too melancholic, it's meant to ease the teens hauntings. Drowning out the tears is not an option and she finds solace in the fact that leisurely the brunette begins to listen to the music while her eyes dry. She feels the eyes on her and for a moment she debates on whether or not halting the soft tunes would be acceptable.

Her answer appears when there's a familiar laughter invades the music. It's a fulfilling sound, because it comes from the brunettes stomach. It's breathy, energetic, and full on humorous. She should be concerned as to where the sudden insanity has conjured from, but she doesn't dwell on that. Instead her hands pick up the slow and tantalizing pace and begin a less complex and upbeat melody.

The serious laugh dies into a mediocre chuckle before being extinguished conveniently when she decides to rest her fingers. She turns to face the brunette with a tentative smile.

"I care about you too." Tori replies once her breath regains a steady pattern.

"Then head home. I'm not in the mood to die of sleep deprivation."

...

Sleep had not been kind to her—more like she had not been given the chance to even attempt resting. She had too assist the youngest Vega in actually wrapping the plaque which was much more of a difficult task than anticipated, then they had not finished that until four, and it was a twenty minute drive to her own home. So instead she decided to sleep at said teens home. That turned out to be a weary mistake. Due to the persistent lecture or what she referred to as nagging by Trina did not allow them to actually have a moment to settle in. Even as her face connected with the well plush pillow on the more than accommodating bed in the guest room, she still was not authorized the rest she was owed. That was partially due to the brunette sneaking into the room not even two minutes after her eyelids slid shut with an excuse of not being able to sleep. That in alone turned into a warm body cuddling into her side when she let out a resigning grunt.

It was not so comfortable as the brunette made it out to be by the tiny and dare she admit cute snores—it was beyond the level of discomfort, and that blame had everything to do with her hyper aware sense. Her nostrils found themselves invaded by cinnamon shampoo, ears sorely victimized by those devilish breaths, while her own lungs were sensibly striving to attain even a breath of oxygen not tainted by her companions misty scent. At these horrible conditions, she was not able to even so much as blink.

Her morning seemed to become even more tortuous. Not having the energy to drive to her home in order to change, she had to submit to wearing the half-latina's clothing. Which consisted of the beaming brunette handing her a pair of black jeans, wooly and absolutely atrocious purple sweater. Her lethargic mood hadn't even equipped her with a valid complaint. So with a heavy heart and murky mind, she had walked into the school with a rather energetic brunette tailing behind.

"Hey Toro. Hello Jade," Andre pauses from his intention to move closer to the pair once he catches sight of the permanent scowl on the goth's face. "And now that is my queue to leave this conversation."

Tori catches her friend by the hem of his shirt, while sending the goth a reprimanding frown.

"She's been ignoring me all morning too. Don't worry. She's all bark and no bite." Tori replies with a cheeky grin.

"Well I can see why she's in a horrible mood. I mean Jade that sweater is hideous—" Andre winces. "I mean that's an interesting sweater Jade. Where did you purchase that, uh, beautiful sweater? So I can like buy my own?"

Lips lifting into an amused smirk, Jade continues to eye the brunette frowning in confusion. Andre spares a glance at Tori and merely examines the expression in curiosity. She runs a hand through her hair before blinking away the hazardous sleep probing at her eyelids.

"Whatever," She mutters irritable. "I'm leaving."

...

Eyelids soaring open once the slick finger probes at her cheek once more, she decisively tries to search for the issue. Her eyelids slide open and shut when the fluorescent light murders her pupils. Hardly adjusting to her surroundings, a thievery has become a reality when the looming form is shining a delicate smile in her direction. With a wince she attempts to withdraw from her position on the floor all too soon, a and the silent crank in her neck bares it's existence. For once her pride is not at the forefront of her mind while her head connects with the makeshift pillow with a soundly thud. Peering up at the figure while shielding her pupils with her hand, she remembers when she had reached the current situation with a fuddled mind.

"You missed the presentation for the plaque," Tori whispers. "Now I know why." She inquiries with a fond smile.

The brunette inspects her hovering hand before settling into a crouched position and Jade is momentarily thankful.

"Your sleepy." Is the half-latina's response to her lack of reply.

Groaning when she attempts to sit up—she's successful this time around, her pale hand brushes away the stray hair falling into her face. The smell of coffee permits the air and curiously she searches for the source of the smell. Wearily she eyes the empty and colorful music room before returning her attention to rest on the unrelenting smile of the brunettes.

"How dare you." Jade grumbles with a scowl.

Despite the initial ache in her neck and rather sore bones from sleeping on the carpet that was more uncomfortable than it looked at first glance. She had been having a rejuvenating rest. The accusation provokes an eye roll from the brunette.

"It's lunch. And from the two juniors you kicked out of here. I heard you've been in here the entire morning. I'm not even going to mention how much trouble you can get in from preventing students from finishing their semester exam, or skipping all morning classes. You already missed breakfast. You're not going to miss lunch either, Jade."

With a crinkle of her nose, a low snort emits from her throat in rebellion of the reprimanding stare. Her stomach however betrays her trust, yet she remains indignant. The heavy breath she earns from the behaviour is ignored.

"Look. I brought you lunch. You eat it and I'll pretend like this encounter never happened and you can go back to sleep," Tori negotiations. "Deal?" The brunette murmurs.

"I can eat later." Jade mutters.

"I brought you coffee." Tori indicates to the round table a few feet away.

Peering behind the half-latina with and spotting the plastic cup accompanied with a wrapped sandwich, with reluctant frown she inclines her head once the smell lurks into her senses again. She neglects the hand offering support and grumbles past the standing brunette to plop into a chair with a snort. Not even a moment of sitting does she hear the announcing sound of the brunette settling into the empty seat next to her.

There's silence when she moves to unwrap the sandwich and it alerts her. It doesn't become a mystery as to why, when her eyes meets the unwavering stare and unnerving grin in which the brunette is watching her with. So she twist her chair around and turns her back to the teen. Jade does not bother to acknowledge the audible snicker.

"You're like a grouchy cat," Tori speaks. "It's adorable."

With a scowl Jade scoots her chair even further away from the brunette—continuing her lunch silently. Not that she'd ever admit to smiling when the laughter filling the room has yet to waver during the last minute.

* * *

"How she got you to wear that sweater. I will never understand, but on the brightside she seems to be content that you're wearing it."

Her neck cranes in order to gain a more reliable view on the new found companion. A disoriented head of dreadlocks obtain her vision and a impeccable service of her knitted eyebrows and pursed lips. An air of confidence shrouds her with his arrival and she refrains from leaving him in a land of desolation in order to recall the plea she had rendered to hours prior. Eyeing the realistic elf ears adorning the sides of his head as in thanks to the exceptional skills of their red headed friend who excels in maneuvering in the aspect of makeup. She doesn't have enough care to ridicule him on his weakness to deny the light spirit of the brunette who convinced him to wear the disturbing green tights.

"I'm burning this the first chance I get."

The intricate threads and patterns of the red sleeved shirt confidently flaunting the brown and red nose reindeer proudly, were and would never be able to be apart of her wardrobe. The holiday festivities never had appealed to her, it still doesn't. There could be thousands of possibilities for the result. The faithfully arrogant warmth of California, an abnormally large tree filled surrounded by the dreams and wishes at the age of five, no adorning parents the same holiday, a bump and bruise of learning how to ride a two wheeled death trap' a year later an angry nanny cleaning the blood, a business trip with her mother and father's name written across the skies of Chicago at the age seven, the holiday spent with her warm grandmother and cold shoulder from spitting image of her distant father, charade snowball cookies from her persistence of baking for her sick mother at the age eleven, three and many more places of frost bitten deception when she rounded thirteen, clumsy kiss under a meaningful placed mistletoe when fifteen, forced to formally greet the rude guest of her parents for two years.

She couldn't add this year. Not at the age of eighteen and she could be able to pronounce herself free from the cold and snide stares from the people she could tolerate to a minimum. The holiday year when she could admit internally of how much the years have changed, and somehow she is lucky enough to watch the bright atmosphere through inexperienced eyes, and let her heart stumble upon the sheer force that is small touches from Victoria Vega. Or the year she has let herself fall victim of teenagers excitedly counting down the hours of the day of new birth, and communing. She lets herself breath a sigh of relief.

"Content is an understatement." She mutters lightly.

"Yeah? Seems to me you found a bit of solace in that face splitting grin she's been showcasing all night."

Had she not made a valid contract with the brunette. Then there would not be enough arrogance to fuel the teasing tone driving his opinion. Even if the comment had been taken into account with a truth she cannot deny. He's being hypocritical and near the brink of tormenting him in exchange. She clamps her lips into a thin line in attempt to withhold her own slew of jabs.

The one reason she was dressed head to toe in red green and her signature combat boots to top off the attire was standing a few feet ahead of her chatting with some random teen that she presumed went to their school. 'The' one and only human being capable of convincing the stoic goth to free herself from being holed up within the confines of her room—trying to evade the guest and live her final year of high school, with a sort of courageous adventure into the jolly laughter the holiday can—bring.

"Here comes your breath of fresh air. Do me a favor and keep that smile on her face."

Andre flicks a beaming smile tainted with pearly teeth towards her right, before returning her leveled glare with a twinkle in his left eye and a boisterous laughter.

For a moment she isn't in control of her body, and lets herself be drug halfway across the house and into the eerily empty kitchen despite the many human bodies littering the household. Her eyes try to adjust to the cheerful brunette hyped up on the drug of the festivities prop herself onto one of the countertops void of any of the hundreds of snacks and drinks. The situation is much to shocking to mechanics of her brain, because before she can process the newly found legs wrapped around her torso, she's being pulled by said slim legs and close—Intimately close—into a grinning nearly nonexistent Irish descendent. With a last ditch heave to regain some sort of intelligence in the situation she places her arms on either side of the girl to right herself—because heaven forbid the light blush creeping up her neck, or her muddled mind due to the close proximity.

"For someone who promised to be even mildly friendly tonight. That particular someone doesn't seem to be keeping there end of the bargain. They seem to be keen on becoming an exact replica of the Grinch' who stole the smiles off of the town's people faces."

She snorts with a quick jut of her chin: almost haughty-like.

"Like I'd even be remotely satisfied with the results of the crooked teeth clowns you call partygoers."

Tori does nothing to hide the mirth shinning in her eyes, or the grin tingling her lips.

"But everyone's having fun. You are inclined to admit that even the goth from the wicked west is warmed by the laughter and jolly music that could make even the ice of Antarctica melt with one glimpse of this party."

Tori decides to play along, and she's happy to follow. She wouldn't admit that of course the cup of hot chocolate brimming with too many plush marshmallows has her throwing this year's holiday to a _very_ carefully placed spot on the elite short list of Jade West' favorite day of her short eighteen years. She won't admit that aloud, not in the vicinity of so many people. Maybe in the confines of a sealed room yes, now? _Never_.

"I could hardly call the shenanigans of a few lame dorks amusement. By the way Antarctica is already melting from the constantly increasing hole in the ozone."

"Yeah? Well maybe you should head home and try to maintain it a bit more. Deal with the transportation first though. I mean the impending wait due to all of the melted ice in the lanes of the airport strips is atrocious."

She raises a silent eyebrow of amusement and tries to think of a time she had even tried to deny the adorable dopey eyed brunette of a playful banter. With a short nod of acknowledgement she has her features twisted into a dramatic frown.

"I thought I was from the west?"

A light lift and drop of the girls shoulders has her attempting to decode the mischief clouding the quivering lips of the brunette. It's the carefree boldness swimming in the pools of brown she has seen far more of than most.

"There's a West Antarctica somewhere."

Lingering smirk held firmly on her lips, she refuses to let the cheering and ear damage worthy laughter shadowing them break the air tight bubble of whatever— _this_ —what they were doing was. Instead she cannot help herself from leaning a smidge of a centimeter closer towards the suspecting body.

"Interesting."

It's a low murmur of wonder as her mind begins the long and winding trek into finding and counting the endless stream of stars in the bright and comforting coffee brown eyes. Faintly she can make time for the sudden change of her position as she lets her back fall into the warmth of the girl as the four teens file into the kitchen. She doesn't flinch when there's a hand calmly soothing her by toying with the tumbles of her raven curls — There's a whisper of hair ' _not being able to reach this level of softness'._ She shouldn't be surprised when a red head starts to fill her ear with a comical story of her childhood, or when she can make out the two boys questioning a pink faced Robbie about asking anyone to the far off event of seniors _Last Chance Dance_ , and maybe she's fine with the mop haired boy trying to weasel his way into the conversation.

"Hey has anyone ever been ice skating?"

There's a chorus 'yes' and one 'no' as each of the members from the group try to distinguish who exactly had denied the question. The one voice that had stuck out enough for everyone to send her disbelieving frowns and shocked grins. Having no interest in the conversation other than the mere agreement that he's indeed did the young Vega have to experience the rush of the blades scraping the ice caused before the years end. Yet she knows that it blocking out her fate could never be a thing with this group, because somehow 'coincidently' one of them had a uncle who owned an indoor rink used for his daughters figure skating team. And all things above her forbid that certain group meme er has a spare key the the rink that is still even a bit ominously placed a few miles —twenty minutes tops— away from the current Vega residence. With a doubtful outcome playing through her foresight seeing, she learns that somewhere there is a Trina Vega in the throng of the thriving Christmas Eve party, and can handle any arising problems for a few hours.

...

She doesn't believe that this will actually be a legitimate preposition until she feels two hands clamp down on her shoulders from behind her. Startled out of her slightly skeptical turmoil, she turns around and faces the brunette with a scrunched up face full of disbelief. Tori lets out a belly laugh and lightly pushes her away and she nods stepping back so the brunette can hop off of the countertop. Not that she hasn't been reassured that this was in fact about to become a reality, she just couldn't quite grasp the coincidence of the situation as they are piled inside the back of Becks pick-up-truck with the cold air nipping at her skin.

"No fucking way." Jade mumbles.

The swat to the arm she receives as a result to her profanity doesn't deter the scowl of bewilderment she is wearing.

Watching with wide eyes as yes there is no denying that this is actually happening, when a red head skips into the now unlocked doors, followed by a curly haired teenager shoving key's into his pocket, then a grinning Andre chatting with a calm Beck. Of course she has no time to stop the brunette from grasping her left hand and pulling with a tug. She stays grounded for the first pull and that has the brunette staring at her with a small frown.

"This doesn't seem too coincidental? No one is bothering to acknowledge the fact that this sort of thing only happens on television?"

She straightens her posture and patiently waits for the tanned teen to agree with her. Until she sees the familiar roll of the eyes in amusement she doesn't bother to broach the subject of things eerily falling into place after one question again. There's another tug on to her wrist and she doesn't protest of being whisked into the ice rink.

The entrance is shockingly warm to have to be kept at a below average temperature to maintain the ice, but she figures out soon that the high arch way is only a place to mingle contrasted to the freezing rink. Spotting the booth that holds the skates before a pair of her size is being entrusted into her hands a second later she silently follows the bustling group. Notting the various vendors they pass she tries to fight off the creeping breeze of cold air nipping at her nose.

Scowling at the mop haired lanky teen brushing past her in a frenzy to slip on the skates closer to the open space of the oval shaped ring. There's nearly a dozen seats per row of the able to sit close to one thousand people, she begrudgingly steps down the long staircase. Ignoring the upbeat conversation of instructions of the first few rules of to take heed of before stepping on the ice, she places her skates with a sigh.

"Hey Cat. Wait for me!"

Huffing with a slight snort when Robbie attempts to be cool by hopping over the five foot wall separating the seats and rink instead of taking the entrance. Andre helps the boy up with a chuckle and grin of sympathy when Cat surprisingly skates farther away with ease, shaking with an air of laughter. Watching the group that is yelling offhand comments about their first experience with ice skating as they whiz by her with a chant of encouragement. She doesn't move from her parked spot leaning against the wall and doesn't make any indication that she will anytime soon, and she silently takes pity on the skinny teen trying to balance himself on the skates, but seemed to be failing miserably with every quick step of his feet causing him to loose balance.

She tries to find the lingering memories of the time her second nanny had forced her into the sixth month figure skating program when she was twelve, because honestly there has to be a valid reason as to why she was drawn out of bed at the crack of dawn for the lessons. She had known the lessons would be useless and still cannot find the reason the probably retired old lady was forcing her to do something that only should be persuade by people who wanted the hobby to become their profession. She had thought it had something to do with the little girl the old lady had introduced her to a few times, but she cannot be sure.

Fact of matter is that maybe the lessons weren't so bad, because she knows nearly most of the tricks to stay upright on the ice and the flailing arms of the brunette is not one of them, and that there's a few tricks she was taught to make her look more than advanced to her group of friends. So she rolls her eyes and schools her amusement and is taunting the brunette being taught by the Canadian with every whirl around the pair. On her third circle around them she can see the slow building frustration on the girl's features and concludes to herself that the reason she is now grasping the waist of the brunette is to save the calm boy from any anger directed his way. He seemingly thinks otherwise as he smirks and starts the short distance to the in need of help Sinjin.

"I thought you didn't know how to skate?" Tori questions with curious eyes as her hands find themselves on her shoulders as a sort of insurance that she will not let her grasp on the slim waist go.

Shrugging with a smirk, she shakes her head in protest.

"You mean when I said nothing while you guy's simultaneously answered together and came up with the oh so great idea to break into the ice rink of Robbie's probably nerdy uncle?" The familiar brown eyes roll with endearment at the sarcastic comment.

"Can you be serious for a second? I'm doubting the word is even in your vocabulary."

The smirk morphs into a small grin as she slowly—Very, Very slowly—leads the brunette further away from the obnoxiously loud group of teens that is her friends.

"I'm going to ignore the obvious jab to my mental capacity," Jade smirks when the brunette stumbles a bit causing them both to become unsteady. She immediately regains control after the flailing arms grows too hazardous.

"Besides you're the one who's very insistent that I shed my dark demeanor so I can be all grins, cheers, cheeky and all whimsical like those horrid holiday movies that are ninety-nine percent unrealistic."

"That is why they call it fictional. And you do realize that the explicit horror movies you watch are based upon the morbid images that should be disturbing to the viewers inside the creators mind."

The rather dark teen refrains from voicing her snarky reply. Instead she focuses on the task of leading the stumbling girl that has been successful in even knocking her off of her balance. She all but holds in the bark of laughter as she diagnoses the issue at hand. With the slow pace she had chose to be appropriate for the fresh pair of legs on the ice, she was proven that her speed seems a tad bit too fast even as she takes one glide every five seconds. Her eyes shin with mirth as she continues to scrutinize the clumsy feet desperately sliding across the ice with uncertainty as they are determined to grow frantic to find the friction to stop.

"For someone who can actually tap a complicated beat, you can hardly keep up with my rhythm Vega." There's a tint of red staining the tanned cheeks, and she can no longer fend the forsaken grin inching towards her lips.

"I would be able to concentrate if you weren't so intent on slipping farther away from the people who would save me if you were to ever feel the need to drop your hands and make a quick escape while I'm falling to my death."

The comment has her relapsing into a vicious need to assure the brunette she no longer bares the amusement at her expense. Yet she forces her lips to shove the words down her throat. Her eyes trail to the tanned cheeks rosy with the chilly atmosphere, and she shouldn't be so mesmerized by the sight. She should tear her attention away from the soft tresses and dear to all things holy does she wish she could look away from the striking cheekbones. When she in reach and has become captivated underneath the doe brown eyes bright with the attentive excitement of the holidays, her throat tightens and she swallows with much applied strength to force down the dry air entering her system.

"You're beautiful."

A second filled with the pure anticipation instilled within her. After a moment of parted lips and bested breaths she receives a crease of the forehead in confusion and a smile of slight amusement.

"Thank you Jade. You are also very, very stunning."

Her chest swells with a deep intake of breath she doesn't think she should let out. It does nothing to help her predicament as a burning sensation surges to her cheeks with a shockwave of tingles.

"Are you blushing?"

It's meant as a harmless attempt to tease. And she forces her neck to the left in order for a few stray hairs to cover the remaining features of her face still viewable to the brunette. A sense of pure enthusiasm sneaks into her bones when the vibrating laughter ripples through her ears, leaving an echo she somehow cannot quite get rid of. Neither does she have the courage to do so.

"Awww, you are." Tori murmurs softly.

With an incredible amount of patience she waits for her cheeks to simmer down, and she waits even longer for the brunette to cease in her momentary amusement. A daring hand hovering over her previous embarrassment has her attention swiveling onto a comforting grin. It's only when the brunette has trapped her face between smooth fingers, and soft hands does she wonder when exactly she had stopped minding physical contact. Her chest explodes into a nebula of forgotten spaces yet to be traveled as her tense body escape the demons plaguing mind. Eyes connecting with a brown expressive enough to have her numb until she cannot believe that she is able to control every part of her body, she doesn't blink. In fear of chasing away the soft expression she has not yet been able to comprehend, and in fear she will not be able to rid her memory of the emotions being conveyed with a stare that bares so many complexities.

"It's natural to become a little flustered. Don't think it'll dent your ongoing reputation," It's spoken through assuring lips and she can't do anything other than nod in understanding.

Her throat tightens when the same pair of lips near her own before skipping across her face until becoming at level with her ear. Swallowing the thick air blocking the passageway into her lungs, she doesn't think her legs have the proper leverage to continue holding her body weight.

"Besides I find it incredibly flattering that you're so enamored with me."

The words stir her insides until the amusement of the conversation disintegrates and she is left with nothing but her absurd thoughts. The efficiency of the sentence strung together has her quickly retracting her hands from the brunette. In her haste she intends to keep her word and puts emphasis of making sure the teen is upright. Rather than dwelling on the low whine of protesting air leaving the rosey lips, and averting her attention to the ice instead of those brown eyes darkening with rejection. She lightly lets her skates guide her a few paces in retreat. Even with the anticipation crawling up the spine of her neck and creating a firm itch in the depths of her lungs. She attempts to ease the hurt she knows is making space inside the brunettes chest.

"I think that comment should be directed towards someone else. Namely _the Sinjin_ over there."

The response gains a hitched eyebrow and grateful nod.

"The Sinjin? What's that even supposed to mean?" Tori questions with a loose grin.

With an affirmative shrug she lets herself swivel into a familiar pattern of backpedaling until she is standing shoulder to shoulder with Tori. It's pure instinct that has her shoving the anxiety down with a breath of air when her fingers ache to wrap around the fidgeting tanned hands in assurance. Her feet are spreading in motion before her own mind can bond with the decision to relive herself and retreat.

"It means that he has his own breed. And calling him a freak does nothing but stroke his overall overestimated ego." Jade adds in an extra frown of concentration to further her attempt.

In reward she gains an extraordinary warmth filling her ears with an unsteady breath hanging on the edges of becoming nonexistent. It's the laughter entering her chest with a vibrant relief that generates a generous smile edging onto her lips.

* * *

 _ **Ohio was fun...**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	7. Night Changes: New Year's Eve

_**I'll lay off on the drama next chapter...Maybe...I'm lazy we know that. There's gonna be a few errors you must power through. I'm sorry. :(**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes: New Year's Eve**_

"It's New Year's Eve bitches!", "Fuck yeah!"

Her lips curl into an amused smirk at the drunken stragglers antics. She understands their eccentric emotions when she steps past the porch and smells the evident marijuana surrounding the oblivious group of teens.

An stream of bold fireflies illuminates the entrance with a soft blush bounces around the faces of hustling bodies. Her hands can not shove the door shut with a sense of irritation before there is a red plastic cup being thrust into her care. The air has a tantalizing scent of heavy alcohol blended with the warmth of a very familiar scent she and many of the various strangers have used to cope with the stress of becoming more of an adult rather than the inexperienced naive souls they are bound to for a few more hours.

It's a hot scene and the leather of her jacket is starting to mend her skin in more than one uncomfortable itchiness. It's a suffocating environment even with the large area and the arrangement of the furniture stacked to the outer interior. She sums it to the compacted bodies mingling into one another with an unnecessary close proximity. While her attention trails across the array of dancing bodies her eyes seek any faces she has come to memorize. When her conquest proves futile she stumbles through the sea of unfamiliar teens and she more often than forces her elbow into the ribcage owned by a few excited wandering hands.

When her eyes can distinguish a less crowded area she immediately lengths her stride. It's not a few seconds later that she finds herself surrounded by even more rambunctious teens that seem to have taken advantage that they were surrounded with the life of the evening. Her peripheral catches sight of a couple nearly undressing each other with feverish hands and fierce lip lock. She lets out a disgruntled huff when she her attention is drawn to a boy flailing his arms and legs around in an odd contorted fashion as he rattles his shirt in his left hand.

She doesn't even comment on the blonde heavily indulging herself in the various bottles of alcohol littering the countertops. Instead she lets her gaze trail to the plastic cup she had received a few minutes prior. Inspecting the cup through narrowed eyes and an incredible amount of disdain she lowers her head and tries to see if a small sniff could save her from a searing headache. Her shoulders straighten and she wearily sets the cup down on the nearest countertop, and sets her sights on creating her own mixture.

"You didn't like the drink?"

Her posture is stiff as she registers the proximity of the voice. It could be due to the extreme volume in which it was voiced, but she could chalk that up to the heavy bass still shaking her own mannerisms.

"I didn't like the out look of someone handing me a drink that was poorly mixed. Neither am I in the mood to be drugged up. Who knows what was in that shit." She grumbles.

Upon finishing her touches on the drink she drags her attention to her new company with a short roll of her shoulders. Bright green eyes await hers with a firm grin, and she has to feel at odds when she scans the strong jawline sitting underneath sharp cheekbones. He doesn't waver under her scrutiny and neither does he seem to be roused with her intimidating aurora. He beams and cranes his head towards a door she assumes leads to the beach she was promised would be a factor. His eyes shine with question and a small flicker of hope she had seen with well enough to not feel comfortable denying. A roll of her shoulders and a nod of her head is enough for him to lead her through a particular group of cheerful hoots as someone ducks under a crate she cannot fathom what it holds. Muttering a string of profanities as she once again feels the ache of a shoulder digging into her, she lets go a sigh of relief when she notices the music is no longer bursting her eardrums.

"Beach parties don't exactly seem like your ideal scenery." A strong smirk is on the edges of her lips when he flashes her a toothy grin.

"Free alcohol, ear splitting music shattering my skull, and a not so shabby selection of a quick hookup. That's my scene." Jade muses ideally.

His eyebrows raise with curiosity.

"Besides I may have a sick fantasy that includes sex on the beach while there's a bunch of obnoxious teenagers around." Jade adds.

"Dylan Wetford." He introduces with an enormous grin.

Her neck forces her head to acknowledge his willingness to share, yet she cannot generate enough courage to stare down the expectancy she knows is currently clouding his gaze. Instead she tilts her eyes to observe the cool and calm night caressing her attention. The vast exclamation of the white planks that normally would have her pupils screaming for shade is drowned in the looming glare of the few standing torches lite. It's creating shelter for the tinted red complexion of the many burning cheeks darkening with heavy sips of the liquid she can see nearly half the population is cradling. The absurd distance accompanying the open-concept deck has been overlooked with every swaying body her eyesight captures. She is weary of the many teens littering the area, but grateful for the lack of anyone serious rambunctious.

Her mind twitches with the intent on letting the vast sand she spots a few meters ahead massage her bare feet, and trudge until she can taste the bitter salt of the sea seeping into her taste buds permanently. She nearly takes a hesitant step until her memory registers the patient teen standing only two feet to her right. Momentarily she flicks her eyes on him to notice he's comfortably rolling with rythm on the heels of his feet, and she can faintly hear him whispering what she assumes is the lyrics to the music floating from the inside of the house. His gaze is set ahead and he's simply observing his surroundings. He turns to her noticing her attention, and she wants to ignore the pang of guilt storming it's trail into her chest when he sends her an unbalanced smile softer than the waves crashing into the shore.

"You don't talk much, I get that. There's no point in sharing information that will most likely fall through the cracks of the alcohol." Dylan assures.

The words ' _then why did you waste your breath_ ' nearly escapes her mouth, and her lips part to do so, but she refrains fearing she already retains the answer. It's written on her face though, she knows this when he chuckles and nods in understanding.

"If you can remember a name of a person you met even when you're mind has been turned into shit. Then there's nothing else but to remember the tiny remnants of the time with that person. And if you can remember the name, then they must have made a valuable impact on you." Dylan informs.

"You speak from experience?" He doesn't seem the least bit fazed with the rather commanding tone she is prone to.

"Yeah, her name...Her name was Alycia with a 'y." Her stomach lurches with warmth when she recognizes the soft tone, and the shift in his eyes shinning with amusement. Fond smile adorning his lips without him being remotely awar.

"I remember because she refused to let me speak her name without the extra emphasis until I could properly spell her name the way it is on her birth certificate. Her smile was incredible, long dark brown hair, fair silky skin. She was beautiful. Yet it was her eyes. They were the most genuine I'd ever seen, filled with so much life? Enthusiasm? I can never get it right, but they were a shade of blue that held a bit of innocence. The type you can't help but instantly bond with and have a strong need to protect. I remember her because she lifted my mood up even more and made me excited to the point where I didn't mind facing my parents, knowing my mom would smell the weed, and booze on my cloths and breath."

Her mouth formulate a sentence she has no intent of voicing. She wants nothing more than to share that she has had the opportunity to feel what he had when he met the girl nearly on a daily basis. That she _has_ a girl that would send him into nostalgia, yet generate an emotion so warm with one moment of eye contact he can do nothing but accept how incredible she is. She doesn't. With guilt scorching in her veins she hides behind her cup and takes a long sip efficient enough to empty the remaining liquid into her system.

"Sounds great." She mutters lazily.

His agreement is a curt nod accompanied with a short silence.

"You're the first person who hasn't told me how dumb I sound the second I finish."

It's his boisterous and genuine grin that has her at odds and admitting. "I know someone similar."

Her shoulders roll with indifference while her heart has a problematic race against her chest. He—she cannot decide if he takes her into consideration or requires a moment to reminisce his past—breaths a breath of silence. It's refreshing even with the constant slurred chatter and screams of the excitement for the new year. She thinks that maybe if she were to have met the teen with a few more seasons to mature, then she would be able to welcome the uplifting and mellow aurora accompanied with the sparks of light in his eyes. She hopes that it's truth that she would have enough experience to deal with him, and that while she knows she doesn't quite deserve it she would muster the courage to even reflect the views he expresses on life. He's accepting and forgiving while she has no other choice but to forego her crude, bitter attitude, and villainous grudges she is prone to creating.

"Then you and I have a lot in common with that simple fact." Dylan murmurs.

The exterior of his lips hint an uplift and it's then she decides she can no longer bare his presence. Her chest aches for the demented plan her mind has formulated. Hastily she searches for another tactic to rid herself of the guilt of staring into a beacon of hope that should be directed upon someone with a more ethical mentality, when she finds none she directs her eyes to her empty cup. He seemes to notice the shift offers her a nod filled with assurance. His fingers slip through her own with precise work and he does not dare to remain in her vision after she has nothing to maintain her need to have her fingers occupied. Instead he sends her a lingering smile that creates an indentation in her memory and turns into the path she had once walked upon that had lead her to the predicament.

 _'You promise?'_

Her breath becomes uneven with the intensity in which the voice is spoken with. It's nearly slurred with the intent to disrupt the alcohol instilled within her, and she wants to demand that the liquid is the reason as to why her insides are twisting into a familiar pattern. Her steps are unaware, deliberate and shadowed with dread. It's an abrupt memory of a encouraging bright forest eyes are to blame for her unsteady feet to become even with purpose. The wooden steps are not as difficult to overcome and she has to force down her heavy boots in order to grace the thick sand. Her eyes switch to an extreme focus to the point where she no longer has to damage her sight in order to see the previously obscured bonfires scattered in various orders, shrouded with taunting smiles, and silky whispers.

 _'He's already assured me twice and another for safe keeping that he'd be able to convince the host to designate us a bonfire.'_

Her hands ache when the faint outline of the soft long tresses untangled with her own pale fingers enter her senses. An hour that is entitled to a slot in her own mind, and that has the meaning to exploit her faults when coming into existence once more. His slim figure firm with the intense load in which he strains himself in order to banish his stress. His smile, permanently etched into a caring, unrestrained, half crescent moon. He does not speak without purpose and tends to place his lips into a pattern when the both of them form an odd dance. It's an absolute wreck when she has to relive those moments in order to dictate an excuse for the brunette. Beck.

 _'You'll probably be there last in order to prove a point. Turn left and walk until you see us. It's that simple.'_

Her steps stop. ( _"I'm serious Jade, turn right. Knowing you, you'll turn left and wait until midnight to actually listen to my directions."_ ) The brown eyes dimmed with a momentary disappointment cause her to resume and forego the information. ( _"I'll see you later.")_ It's the immense force that has showered her right cheek with a fierce fire as her stomach is enthusiastically reminded of the abnormality of the lingering effects of the well placed lips meeting her cheek. The words strung together spewed with an undying hope and an amount of faith she has never been comfortable with is enough for her own legs to grow heavy with guilt as heels of her foot dig into the sand for a sharp left turn.

It's neither the fear of spotting the thick brown waves in a crowd of her friends surrounded by whimsical grins, nor is it her initial plans of being alone towards the end of the evening. Her mind spiraling into a frantic search for a proper leverage to grasp even a bit of a thought that weren't occupied with the group of teens. It would've resulted in a minor set back and there would have been another outcome if all the images flocking into her vision has nothing to do with the heavy bright eyed brunette.

She can no longer feel the heavy base creating an absolute pace for her erratic heartbeat. Instead, It's's a futile attempt to ignore the scent of burning firewood, and a sweetness that leaves a tinge in the air. It's odd, because she is above positive her feet have taken her at least ten minutes away from the beach house. Yet there's an incredible mixture between an orange ridden with the specs of red littering across a figure. Her shoulders rise with the burden of demanding yet another confrontation with another breathing body. It's the hope of the simple interaction between strangers that has her legs working at a mild pace towards the bonfire. She isn't hesitant when she notices the slim figure supporting a bound bundle of brown tresses, neither when the scent of alcohol has her nose flaring. Her hands have found a home in the confides of her jacket, while her head owns a steady fixture on the ground beneath her.

The voice is so familiar is chills her core.

"A promise. In reality it's nothing but a void contract the moment your names written through a soft voice and a truthful glare. It's a useless stream of words tide together. _I promise_. Yet even knowing this, I've hoped for the best of the negative. I want to believe that maybe it isn't always like that. Maybe there's a possibility that a promise could actually mean something in a sense that it could evolve into a law."

Her steps fault, and she has a momentary hesitation coursing down her spine.

"But there's also the possibility that maybe I really am the lightweight you say I am, and those two sips of vodka is the reason I'm not making any sense right now. Or maybe it's the sugar destroying any and all of the brain cells I have developed, at the moment. Yet I can't forget that I might be in this predicament due to an absurd hope that maybe a certain friend would have actually made positive of a promise she made."

That voice; Distinctively familiar, yet rough enough with a feel of unused for it to be foreign to even her ears.

An inhale has the air entering her lungs with a vibrating chill spreading through her chest. An exhale has her insides wrenching with desperation of feeling anything besides the bitter warmth left behind by the brunette. Her mind scrambles in order to transmit the demand to keep her feet moving, and even if she hasn't attended a church session in over eight years she prays to a higher power to give her the strength to keep moving. Yet even then, the voice holds her until she is so transfixed she cannot bare to disobey the silent plead begging her to halt. Her neck cranes to her right a sign that she may not have the strength to continue, but she holds the defiance to stick her ground.

"What are you doing here?" It's a surprise when her own voice fills her ears.

"I could ask the same of you but that wouldn't be fair would it? I mean you did ask first." It's a tone tinged with disappointment.

Before she can bend her mind to do her worst bidding and take a brave step away from the conversation she knows she cannot bare, her legs betray her. It's the lack of self control and her failure to prevent the brunette from adding to the extreme list of spells that bound her to the shaky voice and quivering lips. The sight has her own throat in dire need of release, and her stomach aching with the familiar pattern slipping far too close to guilt.

There's a flutter of a breeze that causes the brown hair tied into a soft bun to loose a few more stray hairs to the cool night. She has to remind herself to remain intact to the gentle features contorted into a simple frown and the hard stare the brown irises provide to the already ferocious flames. Neither does she let her mind wander to the crinkle forming against the slender nose buttoned with a firm slope. Instead she roots herself into the cool grains of the beach and fixes her eyes upon the blanket the girl is currently sitting on.

The pattern has her internally intent on losing the weight of the memory. It's not that she wants to remember the brunette coaxing her with pleading eyes in order to obtain the purple blanket stained with stitches of a newborn white and wolf seeking the comfort of it's mother during the full moon. It's more so of her refusal to let the bitter truth of exactly how much the forced gift affects the brunette.

"Please tell me you're here because you forgot the directions. Don't tell me otherwise." Tori murmurs.

It's wishful thinking and instead of demolishing whatever hope the teen has with an absolute answer she wafts a single shrug that seems to bring forth a wrath of pain to her shoulders.

"Don't ask for something that I can't give you."

She hears an intake before a shakey exhale fills her ears. And when there's an enlightenment powerful enough to have her unconsciously taking a few feet towards her companion she doesn't have to second question her conclusion that she now holds the burning gaze.

"Yeah, that's an answer that I expected. It's actually really 'you." Tori spits out forcefully.

There's a tone she has never heard come from the soft spoken brunette. It's through a slick tounge and sparked with a venomous intention. A weak moment has her on the brink of insanity as she forces herself to remain put. A shuffle tweaks her ear and she has to strain her hearing in order to properly identify the movement. The crackling of the fire seems to intensify and she assumes the brunette is adding to growth of the flames.

She has to muster every ounce of confidence to even consider voicing the thoughts she as of now deems forbidden. Her throat becomes a collar that is strangling her until she can no longer feel the air processing through her lungs, and she has to pick her lips in order to moisten them to an appropriate degree. The words seem nearly to sacred to even utter, yet even then she doesn't have a choice but to let the vowels into existence when those brown eyes are cast her way.

"I—I don't deserve you. And we both know that."

It's not all of her concerns not even a handful, but it's a start.

"Tell me. Tell me why you don't deserve me." Tori questions.

It's none judgmental, rather genuine curiosity.

"You're pure. Delicate even, and though you deny it you demand protection. Even though you want to stand on your own feet and take on the world head first, the simple fact is that your so damn soft. You're something that has to be shrouded and coddled until whatever obstacle you couldn't decimate on your own has vanished. You're a light that is bound to seek the confines of darkness just because you cannot bare the mere idea that anyone is suffering. A light that is bright and warm and so fucking disgusting because it's so hot with hope. You're fragile because you can hurt with a few words and still feel the need to sooth the worries of the ones who betrayed 're filled with the images of sloppy grins, and whimsical laughter."

A breath is needed and the distrustful, concerned, and curious stare has her continuing her impromptu and winded speech.

"You're precious and important and so damn important to everyone including me, and I can't even fathom as to why you would want to fight a battle with the demented. The fact of matter is you need protecting from the sadistic world and the twisted idea that not everyone is as caring and considerate as you are. From the people who are willing to take and stripe you of purity just because they feel some sick satisfaction of seeing you down, from the assholes who want nothing more than to use you. You need protection, even from me."

Her eyes dart to the fire, and she can feel the guilt creeping into her features.

"Where are you Jade?"

Her jaw locks with a firm intent to withhold the familiar exhale she knows will be accompanied by the stinging of her eyelids. The lie was not the words, rather than the wrong answer to a demand and she is positive the brunette will push. Push her until she can no longer bare to hear the hurt underlying her smooth stare. Yet she stays silent, in a futile attempt to forbid the brunette from speaking.

"I'm right here, Vega."

"You're not here..." Tori whispers.

Her eyes searching for something and appears to be so legitimately perplexed it has Jade frowning in sorrow. There's an obvious equivocal that is hidden behind the words that are more of an comprehension rather than spoken as a question.

"Where are you?" Tori queries once more.

The smell of alcohol enters her nostrils at such a tantalizing pace, she's not positive she's had a chance to shut her eyes or not.

An eruption; One that has been lurking behind a thick sheet of patience. It's build up having been delayed with the forsaken intent to disintegrate with the decision of the dark haired teen. It seems it has detected the decision within the choice of words uttered. Though this explosion does not decimate the lands until there is nothing left but mere ashes of what had been. Instead it leaves a decent amount of personal possessions despite the thunderous trail it has lingering.

A deliberate veil of silence decimate her mind and her senses come to a startling halt. The slim fingers searching for solace in gently cradling her chilled cheeks generate a generous amount of fear within her as she finds warmth in the soft hands. Her lips have stilled and neither can she find the strength to soothe the tamed ones currently locked with her own spewing a desperate drive to have her response. It's dread. Her stomach that is flourishing with a firm flutter of warmth and satisfaction all the while entertaining the idea of hope and prosperity. Her hands have found themselves on a quest and find a slim waist to claim, and she hopes and prays she seeks the fabric of the sweater to push the brunette away. And in vain to keep that hope alive she grasp the material underneath her fingers, the concept is there, and she knows it will only take a second to rid herself of the heavy burden residing in her chest disguising itself as a comfort.

Yet her stomach cannot handle the emotional turmoil, and she doesn't think she can bare the consequence. With an amount of strength she is positive surges from the deepest pits inside of her she pushes. Eyelids forced tight with anticipation her head is lost within the push and she lets herself explore the rancid guilt. It's the stale alcohol and sweet taste of what she had scented in the air of the delicious desert, and a hint of cherry. The raid of fresh water, and a roasted lavender mingling within a barrier of cherry blossom invades her senses. The kiss is tantalizing and neither does she have the courage nor the strength to pull away from the addicting lips. In a disoriented memories does she recall herself pushing until she has the epitome of hope trapped underneath her and between the plush blanket. She doesn't object to the slight nudge of the brunettes forehead in order to regain the breath stolen from her lungs.

"We—I shouldn't be—"

Once her shallow breaths have been claimed and captured within the deathly spell her mind becomes inscrutable. Her hands seek an anchor and neither does she find it but she concludes to letting them trail down the seams of the pants and travels a distance to retrace their exploration to land on the slither of skin peaking from underneath the sweater that has shriveled upward. It's smooth, rich, and soft and only when she connects the flexing muscles withering under her hands inching towards the area she has deemed restricted does she halt her actions. A moment of the pleading moans and plump lips has her brain sufficient enough to shift gears. Pulling away enough to taste the faint tell signs of alcohol she ushers herself away from the brunette with a murmured curse.

With the disappointment she swallows the urge to release the liquid she had inhaled earlier as she listens to the ragged breathing of the brunette. It's vile and she has to physically restrain herself from letting her feet carry her into the ocean and becoming heavy enough for her to drown within the waves. She had nearly taken advantage of the induced teen and her chest had reminded her of exactly the extent of her evil intentions.

The memories of their innocent kiss provoked by an elderly couple cause her to become even more nauseous.

This was nothing like that kiss.

"You're drunk...And I nearly," Taking a breath she tries to slow her heart rate. "Shit I'm not doing this Tori. You're drunk."

Tori merely observes the goth before pushing herself into a shaky stance. Jade lets her eyes widen a fraction.

"What are you doing?" Her question is not answered immediately and she spots a familiar flicker of determination that sparkles a decisive and deliberate step backwards.

"You need space."

And the words are formidable to her. Her hands tremble and her feet nearly stumbles to catch the brunette who had begun the trek towards the beach house. Fingers winding around the teens forearm in a terrified grasp, she forces Tori to pivot. Her arms immediately cling to her companions hips while she shoves her face into the warm neck. Delicately she allows her nose to skim across the teens pulse. She revels in the erratic beat she feels.

It's a silent moment before she feels feeble arms equally clutching her shoulders in a steady embrace.

"Stay okay?" Jade murmurs.

Tori inclines her head stiffly—Jade can't see the sorrowful irises blankly staring at the burning embers.

...

She wakes to a hunched over form spewing vomit a few meters away. The sound curls her stomach and she doesn't have to assume how awful the brunette is feeling. The sound does not sound normal for even someone with a mere hangover. When Tori turns to her direction all evidence points to the unusually pale tone of the girls skin despite the initial blush caused by the morning chill.

"I have to get you home." Jade speaks lowly.

"I'm such a lightweight." The words are mumbled and spoken through dry lips and a well used throat grieving the lack of proper hydration.

"I don't think you realize the extent of that statement."

A firm frown quickly forms when their is a lingering sting shooting through the left arm. Wearily watching the offending hand hovering above her arm while the brunette raises an eyebrow powered with a resounding dare. It's when the brown irises flinch with the amount of light flooding the senses does her own linger without awareness of even having the delicacy she cannot detect. Her mind defies her truth with the false accusation of the proximity in which they are in when her hand brushes back the stray hairs flailing around the tanned skin and her thumb hovers to lightly skim across the vast array of lively cheek. Upon contact she notices the heat despite the apparent front of weather conditions during the new year, and she has to sigh with concern shadowing her features as she stares at the ripened skin.

"You have a fever."

"I'm fine. All I need is a ton of water, and some aspirin. God I need some aspirin." Tori whines.

"You're not fine." A heavy sigh escapes her chest, and with a flimsy attempt her tounge darts out to soothe her chapped lips.

She bends her knees and with a hefty grunt she's standing on her disagreeing legs. It's an unattainable satisfaction when she tries to stretch her aching muscles, and after a negative minute she decides to stop searching for relief. Squinting her eyes in mild frustration she takes note of the brunt logs, and dead fire pit. Thankful for the lack of work that has to be done in order to clean the area, her attention has been attained by the brunette. The even breathing pattern escaping the dull lips has a wave of energy surging through her chest in a frantic moment.

Neither can she sedate the erratic behaviour her heartbeat seems to be displaying at the sight of the rising sun flicking across the abnormally pale complexion with a gentle reminder of just how cynically beautiful the teens features are. When the strong gust of wind sweeps her hair away into an agitated fraught she pushes it back with a defying hand. Even with the knowledge that the girl is not taking a grateful rest, she stares without a doubtful conscious screaming the sinful nature of watching the serenity capturing the brunette under its demented spell.

"We need to get going. You need hydration, and something to eat." Jade muses.

Despite the words rolling off of her tounge with a rough frown, a tanned hand reaches out and she is stricken with grief when instincts has her wrapping her fingers around the hand with shameful care. And she's quivering when her mind fails to contemplate the idea that the brunette is indeed too weak to pull her own weight and is shoved into her frame. The collision doesn't deter the hungover teen in the slightest, and it's a simple thud that sends her into a crash course as the brunette buries her heated cheek into the crook of her neck. When she is positive Tori can hear the heavy metal resounding in her chest she removes her hands that hold a stability for the girl.

"I don't think I can make it too far. Besides, I don't think it's normal to feel like a variant squid is squirming around in my stomach."

"I'll carry you." _It's an immediate response._

And she closes her eyes when she takes a moment to remember her utter pathetic behavior towards the brunette. Yet she doesn't discard the simple fact of matter. _She'd do anything to lighten the burden from the girl._ Or rather the disgraceful truth that'd she do literally anything for Tori Vega.

"And I appreciate the offer." Tori smiles fondly.

It's neither an objection nor an agreement, yet she lowers herself until one knee is ruefully digging into the sand. Averting her eyes to the dark blue waves crashing into the shore in order to avoid those brown eyes she knows is fixated on her. An added weight forces her to withhold a simple groan, and it's not until she feels a heavy breath tickling her earlobe does she find the strength to stand. It's the silent request to have the brunette drape the blanket around her shoulders in order to soothe to chattering teeth and shiver. Swallowing her own urge to empty the foul warmth seeking home in her stomach, and ignoring the surging pain in her forehead.

It's silence for the first few minutes and she wishes she hadn't had the three beers she had stolen from her father's secret stash as courage to enter the party. Even more so when she remembers herself downing the bottles while staring at the house with a pathetic glare. Her steps halt when she feels the smooth skin nuzzle into her neck. Only when she hears the inhale of breath does she press foreword. There's a mixture of a small groan and raw chuckle, and Jade has to withhold the smile threatening to break on her lips.

Her small smile has morphed into pinched eyebrows of concern. The heat emitting from the cheek snuggled into the crook of her neck is revealing and is decisive enough to have her resorting to urgent steps.

"They finalized the divorce."

Her pierced brow raises while her eyes widen a second later when the information settles.

Tori had yet to mention anything in regards to her parents divorce since the first emotional breakdown. Not directly. Neither had anyone else bothered to mention it—the topic has been avoided like a plague. Features scrunched into a reflective frown. Jade tries to feverishly work out the timeline in which it had taken her own parents to finalize their divorce.

"Doesn't that take a year?" Jade questions.

A short and husky chuckle comes from the brunette.

"Usually if there's a disagreement, but in this case there wasn't. Such as custody of the children that really doesn't apply here. And since mom's a lawyer. She was able to get them a judge in a fraction of time any normal divorce takes," Tori's silent for a beat. "They told us Christmas eve."

Wincing momentarily, Jade nods. Choosing to remain mute.

"We were planning to go and visit my aunt Sonya for Christmas then head to San Francisco to do rituals of seeing my dad's side of the family. But mom's a cowered and chose to spend the holiday with her side of the family tree and dad followed her move and spent it with his. Trina and I really didn't feel like being in the middle so we stayed."

"That sucks." The goth offers lamely.

Even with the lack of comfort the response gains a resounding laughter, one that makes her lips upturn.

"I'm assuming your dad got the house?"

There's a brief moment of silence in which she curses herself of being a tad bit insensitive.

"She said she didn't want to take any more from him than she already did. The house was his grandparents and even despite that being a deal of his childhood memories he still offered it to her. So," Tori halts. "At least something worked out for my dad."

Her throat aches and she doesn't know if it is the alcohol, or the fact that the brunette indeed seemed to remember the previous night. In detail if she had taken notice of the faint scent staining her breath. A scowl is in hindsight and she wants to ease herself of the guilt building when she is forced to flicker through the memory. Her parents divorce was fuelled with drama that described itself as screaming, demanding, and more often than not packing her around like some inanimate object rather than an actual human being. She remembers vivid moments where a vicious sorrow would consume her until she was nothing more than a mere huddled form of despair—a vexed child that held more hatred towards the marriage itself rather than the two who tried for an inevitable.

She doesn't like the formidable vision of Tori in her place. She does not want Tori to morph into that type of person.

"Sometimes you can't help the people that's around you. At times you know they're words are venom and actions are toxic. You're not drawn to them because consciously you've been aware they're no good for you. It's more of an inexplicable shove that causes you to stumble into their arms. Then they've gotten you in this clutch. It hurts and terrifying because you know they won't let you go. They won't let you leave. And all the same it's an exhilaration because everything that's bad for is that and more. In the end maybe your mom fell into another man's arms because she needed to feel that excitement. Maybe she fell in love Gary," Jade pauses, because—

 _Oh_.

There's a soft breath tormenting the curve of her neck and it feels like the calm after the storm, because the gentle slope of Tori's nose nudges her skin once every step she takes, and it's so soothing in such an odd form.

Her words resonate with her and not only is it due to the fact that they were spoken it a soundless wind and delirious human, but. They were more nonsensical sentences that forms a tired lump in the middle of her throat, and diminishes the last ounce of truth in her.

"Maybe she truly does love him because he's better for her. Because he's that willing person who cradles every bit of her existence with concrete hands and embraces her in a way that's so delicately warm she chuckles at the irony. She could love him like a volcanic eruption that destroys more than it means to but it's fine because she revels in the idea that he's the sole reason behind life. And looks at him like he's pieced the entire universe in one word. She loves you. She really does. She is your mother even after all of this. It's just—"

Her breath hitches when she notices the familiar house drifting into view.

"Some people can't cope with something that's new, odd. They make really stupid decisions. Just...wait for her." She finishes distracted.

"I love her too." It's whispered calmly into her ear. Tori does not elaborate on the words.

As cool as the string of words are uttered, she cannot fathom the depth of them. At the moment she doesn't want to either. So she lets the reverberation caused encase her instead. Let's her mind focus on the even breaths that have started once more.

She prays that the brunette will not remember.

Her eyes shut; keen on letting the scent of salt and the thunderous waves engulf her whole. Implications are electrifying the statement, and Jade decides that while she despises prolonging the inevitable, she will declare her fealty to avoid the conversation with her pride.

"Jade?" Tori mutters softly.

"That's my name." She affirms with an amused smirk.

"Am I heavy?"

"Your body mass is causing me a physical pain," Her lips curve gently. "And not the good kind."

Tori grunts her disapproval.

"Asshole." Tori mumbles.

"Such filthy language. Do they teach you this in school?"

"I learn from a cynical goth infatuated with macabre. Her teaching is very insightful."

Jade musters a proud grin.

"Damn right it is."

* * *

 _ **Jade isn't herself...That deathly declaration proves that. I mean that's totally out of character. Tori seems...hmmm...It's always the cliche "one step forward, one step back" with these two.**_

 _ **Sucks.**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Where I don't have a lot of time to update, because school is once again here and I have to frantically search for the time to at least clean up this story. Sorry?**_

* * *

 ** _Night Changes: Does Not Advance_**

"You love him," Her shoulders decline with resolution. "If—Tori. She should understand that. She _will_ understand that, eventually."

Hands clutching the tiny folder that has been gradually become a sort of thick binder over the last week, her mind does not dare delve into the rancid frustration that will be thrust onto her. The myriad of very well strategic tactics to have an enormous burden that takes on the form of guilt. Her abdomen already loathing the idea, tremble, hidden from public view. Even then, the ramifications could not deter her from attempting to assuage the brown irises—terrifying, because of their blanketing resemblance between the brunette not even twenty meters away. They were haunting. Baring a heavy encumbrance that hindered any sincere conflict with the true depth of the woman's contrition. It embedded a convicted necessity into her mechanisms, a true instinctive desire to protect. Very well this may be due to her uncanny trait to become protective of anything dear to her; or even that mere fact that the woman was someone who developed and raised the most precious human she has ever encountered—she denies all.

Only due to her conclusive concept that the woman has a near replica of her childs orbs. And she had found it to be exceptionally difficult to merely swivel around the corner and continue her trek towards the stairs while the woman anxious and weary walked without any hope. So she halted her tracks and decisively placed a tentative hand, meant to done comfort, on the woman's hunched shoulder.

"What you did can and won't ever be justified because you did cheat. You hurt them all. But I can't find it in me to accuse you of doing it intentionally because I'm not you. I won't be able to feel what you feel, but I can only assume you did it because you love him. And I can only do that because of Tori. Due to the fact that she's your daughter and you raised her. That alone makes me believe you'd never intentionally harm her." Jade murmurs.

Voice low and mindful of the brunette on the floor above.

When the obvious tears begin to swell and trail down the tanned skin; she has the utter flaw to notice. It proves to be problematic because she has to force her own flinching fingers to swipe the devilish liquid. Her throat clench around the humming tune that grasp her vocal cords. She would soothe the woman's pain and it truly startles her because Holly Vega is an identical feature that definitely parallels her daughter. One that burdens a load of vexation, and hurt she has to remind herself of. She cannot favor the woman due to her inability to divide between the pair, and remind her conscious that the woman has done something her own mother had done. Had inevitably spewed a ferocious lava onto their family. So she offers a dutiful incline of her chin and pivots around towards stairwell.

Her mind ridden with conveying despaired irises churn within the innocent, turmoil fuelled orbs—both in which bore a sort of tragic reality. Her head contemplates for a moment in which neither have an honest distinction. Churning the diabolical thoughts until her feet carry her in front of a pale white door riddled with various posters, and general instructions strewn across it's surface. Her features scrunch and bond with a perplexed frown, because there's a delicate tune permitting the air. The serenading words are emitting from the very room her feet are debilitated in front of. Irritation settles over once the image of a red faced, dreary eyed brunette enters her mind. A firm sound slices through the deathly palliative and low tone, it's a fearless cough.

' _Wrapped up, so confused by..._ '

The vision that greets her lifts her—induces another scented flutter that defiles her pulse without default. A mountain formed with various shapes and sizes of pillows encase an irritable brunette. One sniffling into a tissue without care about the less than exquisite style in which she throws the filthy item near the trashcan overall flooding with used ones. It seems her memory does not dare let this sight fall from her clutches, because she cannot rid the rosey cheeked teen from her lips—there's an oddly sweet smile deceiving them. She merely stares and that can partially be dubbed because in all sincerity she has not actually seen the brunette in over a week. Mainly due to the girl commanding them all to not even come within walking distance of the house until the fever that morphed into an agitated cold diminished. So dearly excuse her veins from becoming prey to the adorable, not that she would ever speak that mundane word aloud. Heaven forbid the brunette from ever having the terrible truth that she was meekly watching the teen with a fond smile twirling her lips; Tori would simply sprint ahead with even a lick of an idea this ever occurred. So her feet directed her to the silver speakers and tuned the volume until it's nothing more than a heavy whisper. It immediately garners the unhealthy teens attention.

"Jade? I, thought...what—why?" The words are muddled with a thick layer of confusion and buried underneath a heavy accented burden.

Dare she admit the hoarse voice to be a tiny bit alleviating. Only because her own stomach betrays her free will and decimates all coherent healthcare. It's churning, mischievous and fumbling around for a proper handle on life. Her hands maneuvers the folder until it becomes visible to the straining eyes.

"Andre insisted I deliver you're assignments," Noticing the scowl on the brunettes face she frowns. "I told him it was a stupid idea."

Tori reduces her eyelids to assure the goth that she does not believe the obvious fib for a second. Her face contorts into a scowl while her bottom apathetically thumps into the computer chair settled across from the bed. Even with her head probably whining in despair the brunette manages to seek through her facade, that alone alerts her.

"School opened two days ago." Tori states firmly.

That halts her and with a muttered curse she pretends to not have her the sort of accusation that seems more of a taunt rather than fact. It had been a week since the year had begun and while school had started a meek forty six hours prior, the brunette had been ill for the remainder of the break. Thus eluding to her awful attempt to formulate an palpable excuse to see the brunette. She had planned on sneakily emptying the folder of the void assignments she had placed in the folders confines before the teen actually had a moment to sort through them. In reality there had not been any homework assigned to them. Tori was not aware of it, though she did seem a bit suspicious.

"Whatever. Shouldn't you be resting or something?" She offered lazily.

Tori scrunches the contours of her face together. Irritation settling very well into her demeanor.

"How would that even be possible? My head hurts, my throat aches, my ears are stuffed and nose couldn't even smell skunk scat." Tori whines.

She decides not to offer her knowledge and correct the teen that it would be skunk spray rather than scat, but she can assume that either can be spoken for.

"All I hear is my whine hurts, whine I'm in pain. Boohoo my ears suck, I can't even smell animal shit."

"Why are you here Jade," With an unnerving lack of patience. "Because quite frankly I don't have the energy to do whatever this is."

Recoil—Her exuberant deriding wavers it's luxuriant mood, while her smirk diminishes. Lips cradling a tentative and detained curve downward, she examines the ill brunette once more. It's upon new scrutiny that there haven't been an ounce of the ebullient comportment that would exert an endless excitement. In place there is a heavy mien concealing a pure smile. A furrowed brow, crunched forehead, weary eyes wearing a tiresome aura, crinkled nose strumming red, tumid cheeks. It's difficult because she cannot fathom between the origin of the impatience be it the fierce cold swallowing the teens lungs or the final bits of energy being expanded in regards to her personality. It's terrifying because at every turn and every winding path Tori has always had a concord patience when dealing with her. Tori knew the concept, coerced the concept, and coddled it until it blended into her own will. She crawls into herself until a timid form emerges from the depths of her once confident shell.

Expectancy awaits her due to her unyielding credence truly believes the look will waver. Only when a minute sways past does she faithfully comes to a realistic realisation that the brunette will not command the indifferent stare to surrender. Determination swirls around and lands in between the tired eyes. And in truth she does not have the answer nor the ability to give an acceptable conclusion to the question marinating the air in a thick aroma. She sincerely doesn't know why she is here. She only diverts the skeptics to the answer that the short text, clipped phone calls were not efficient. Did not quell the stifled waves bombarding her stomach, the overwhelming bile taking over. The tiny hole due to the absence of the brunette. The massive sense of craving—yearning to hear the soft laughter riddle with a scratch in person. She desired the real deal. There was an insistent need to hear and see the authentic brunette. Even when the vow to avoid any encounter with the teen in order to tarnish the words she spoke a week prior, demolish their reputation. She couldn't and did not want to stay away from Tori. If that meant they would have to include a conversation that swivels their entire relationship, then she would. She merely hoped that the formidable process did not include much memory from the previous week.

"Us," She mutters. "What do you remember?" Jade scoots the computer chair towards the brunette with ease but also hesitation.

"If you want to hear about the part where you saved me from losing a woman's most precious—" Her lips curl. Interrupting the abnormally cynical brunette.

She does not like the sarcasm leaking from the brunettes lips.

"Vega that's not what I meant and you know it—look I'm trying okay? Don't do that."

An amount of desperation leaks from her mouth and it must be the awakening, because Tori immediately softens her features. Consciously or not she relishes in the warm and understanding orbs inspecting her with more than enough care to influence the stuff incline of her head.

"I care about you Jade. And I like to think that the feelings are mutual." A tentative nod confirms the statement.

A meticulous silence veils them. It could very well be the faltering startle that the brunette must succumb to—directly linked to the fact that the goth had indeed admitted to the looming affection that had never been acutely concede to. Jade lets her lips part deliberately before slamming shut after a clean swipe from her tounge. Divulging the information or rather truth create a formidable trench inside her stomach, one that currently fills and empties repetitively with a precarious warmth. Avoiding the astounded expression of the brunette that turns contemplative within a minute, she inclines her head to assure herself.

"I would have...taken you on the offer." Jade withers internally as her face twist into a wince instigated with guilt.

The words sound rude, a little cynical to even her ears. And instead of the scowl she expects to see on the teens face, Tori merely eyes her intently.

"I threw myself at you. Me. You didn't do anything wrong," Brown orbs soften. "Jade despite the fact that I was drunk. It would have happened sooner or later. You're attractive and I am too. We have...Some tension. Pent up, it would have happened." Tori assures gently.

Despite the guilt, she finds the girl's inability to proclaim any sexual reference without using the actual term amusing.

The statement does hold obligations to make her wonder if the event had not occurred, would either of them have indeed leaped on the opportunity to release some pent frustration. In a split decision she concludes that maybe there is a possibility she would have. That lessens the guilt, but even then it still lurks around.

Eyeing the brunette for a while, she stands with purpose.

"Move over." She mutters. Only when there's narrowed and skeptical eyes peering at her does she huff.

"Move over Vega," Tori scowls and does not heed the demand.

"No. That's rude Jade. I'm sick you can't kick me out of my own bed."

Irked by the blunt accusation she maneuvers her shoes off, tosses her keys and bag near the desk, and moves around the bed until arriving at the unoccupied space. Landing on her back with a loaded thud, she stares at the unmoving ceiling for a moment. Hearing the uneven and stifled breath of her companion is the cause of her hoisting her body into a roll, while letting her arm fall around the brunettes midsection carelessly—she groans when there's a feeble attempt to shirk away her form trying to mold into the heated body.

"That's disgusting, Jade. Stop. I'm gross and sick. Get off of my bed." Tori yells voice strictly drizzled with a thick snog.

All while fending away the clammy hands swiping at her sides, she holds her own to win the battle and it takes caution to catch a slap midair. She would never actually make a proclamation of any of the hits actually causing her physical harm; even if in her own twisted way she's extremely fond of pain. Having to maneuver her body on top of the brunettes, she completely disregards the level in which the girl is sick. If she can muster enough energy to have a miniscule war with a very healthy pain enthusiast. Tori was more than capable of having that very same person hoarding her—delicately. Tori let's out a moan that sounds awfully close to her disagreement with not being able to breath momentarily than their position.

"Sick my ass," Jade accuses. "You shitty liar." Maybe she is reacting out of proportion, but honestly she's a tad bit out of breath and the brunette claiming to be ill seems to not even have lost a second of air during the strenuous activity.

She tries to lazily avoid the fingers pinched together hovering above her cheek and posing a threat.

"I can still hear. Do I need to wash your mouth with soap." Tori mutters.

"No, but while the offer is there you can wash your mouth with toothpaste. It reek—"

"Jade! I'm sick!" The sputtered exclamation is accompanied with an exasperated frown, that swoon under a pink tinted cheek.

Her lips curl into a mystical chime that beckons a throaty chuckle. Rolling from her position above the brunette to land in her original post. It's the exhilaration of a mere moment that seems to be rather silly than their initial intention for the encounter—then she supposes that more than on one occasion, her meetings with the brunette tend to be unpredictable and peculiar—but it creates a familiarity that's generally precious to her. The room becomes silent between them but the soft tunes the speakers sound lifts the gentle and stiffly reminder of the previous aspects of their conversation. It also gives her a moment to bare the weight of her words with the older woman minutes prior. She is reminded of the inquiries she had with the utter failure to hide her surprise when noticing the lean form resting in one of the kitchen seats.

Attention flickering to the brunette who seems to already be eyeing her. An eyebrow hitches in response.

"I talked to your mom on her way out." She test tentatively. Eyes knitted in hesitation.

Her speculation on the reaction is proven correct when in a split instance where there is a face peaking through slender eyelashes and then she staring at the intricate pattern of the brunettes sweater. Her companions composure is all stiff, made up of a ridged spine as it's base, shoulders risen defensively. The disoriented breath flowing into her system moments later provides her the time to devise her words methodically. Her tounge clicks on the roof of her mouth as a product of her brain lapse. The sound must garner some sort of relevance to the brunettes thoughts—her arm nearest to the teen is lifted precisely and directed in complete contradiction to their earlier disagreement to land purposely on a slim waist.

It's her own ministrations. Pulling the heated body into her own and selfishly lapping the warmth provided. Her throat aches to spew soothing syllables into the seniors ear—as replacement she let's her face stumble into the girl's neck and gently nuzzles the exposed skin. It's completely freedom from her worried mind and she adores the faintest shudder at the mindless action. Tori covers the hand settled over her midsection and begins to fiddle with the dark rings on her fingers. She forcefully reminds herself that she should not feel so—warm and utterly comforted by the honey scented shampoo filling her nostrils.

"I heard. Or heard the muffled conversation. But we're not talking about that. And now this is...You and me." Tori whispers harshly.

"Sikowits is planning some finale production for the senior class. It should bother you that he announced you as the lead before the playwright is even finished."

A stale aversion. So plain her mouth itches to snatch the words back.

"We're a cliche."

"Doesn't the story usually end for someone to classify it as such?" Jade mumbles.

"It can be called a cliche even before the movie ends. Have you never seen the typical person A hates person B. Person B tries to impress person A for years or in movies cases weeks because they have an independent crush that they knew they had on person A deep down. Then after a string of unpredictable events person A suddenly—"

"Less talk. More sleep. You're boring me."

"You sure are rude" Tori replies. "It's simple mathematics."

And it's a little bitter because Jade swears she can practically feel the fond smile on the brunettes lips, and heaven forbid the sweet taste is leaves. Her own mouth curves into a lopsided smirk.

"Well aren't you six shits off topic." She relishes in the tiny pinch on her hand.

"That doesn't even make any sense. Do you always have to have such a dirty mouth?" The brunette scolds.

Her begin their descent shut and she is more than positive her mind is not even coherent at the moment.

"Mmm...You do understand the innuendo? Either way," She cannot help the drastic slip of tone. "The answer is a massive yes."

The heavy breath that shoots through her lips must alert the brunette.

"We _need_ to talk about this Jade."

To calm the treacherous hurt that seeps into the teens words, she gently abates the tension forming around the abdomen with a firm hum in defeat. The tune marinates the air for a while and dips into an even breath. Internally she displaces the guilt and in shame reminds herself to muster a brave phase and have the topic brought forth with concord answers.

...

They've never provoked the conversation even three weeks later—rather she avoids the topic and places her words tentatively, deliberately speaks to the brunette tentatively. The dormant hope never fails to have her heaving silently in order to compose her frantic mind. Another opportunity amiss. There's a new found emotion that swathes the brown orbs—disappointment she prays. It's an odd event when the irises watch her across the hall, unidentified stare and all, it's a bit terrifying.

They've made no advancment—she has showed no vital signs of movement. She is merely a still shot in this entire video. And this is the very first time the revelation swarms her—she cannot deal with change. It's her weakness, and it's always been there.

She concedes to becoming a coward.

* * *

 _ **In which they almost have change. A chance lost...Maybe some progression? This is probably the shortest the chapters will be. Or really depends on how I chop it up though.**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


	9. Chapter 9

_**Hi...Learn more from these fools.**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes: Circles**_

"What the Hell Beck," It sounds like it's meant to be a harsh whisper. "Did you really think you could keep this from us?" The voice is angry, very angry from the familiarity of it.

"I didn't want to. And I wasn't going to keep this from the others just…"

A trembling exhale is hidden between the riveting machine casting a dreadful, yet melodious and rhythmic beat around the room. One she believes she can speculate where she remembers the foul and loud smell of the artificial disinfectants. Her mind tampers with the vivid images of the bleak night—rain, her bike sliding against the pavement violently, the severe snap she'd heard (whether from her bike or her bones she couldn't decipher at the moment) and the searing pain it left in its wake. Her memory could in detail retain her waking briefly to find a disheveled male settled in the chair in the corner of the dark room, and incoherently asking of him not to tell Tori, before slipping into sleep once more.

"Just me. Of course she would ask that of you."

And she wants nothing more than to mollify the mellifluous melancholic quiver in the girl's voice.

"Tori look I couldn't—"

"You still have feelings for her." Tori mutters lowly, with certain finality.

There is an empty silence that encases the cold room, and before she can even find a resemblance between the hurtful tone and the almost panicked scoff from each direction, her throat finds it's time to announce her wake with a sudden quake—she wants to withdraw into herself once the cough becomes a violent fit and forces her eyes to fly open. She notices the obscene light first: then the set of flowers and teddy bear, then there's the image of her propped up leg, then her sore eyes flick towards the pair standing a meek five inches apart. Her eyes flutter shut before reopening to find them each rooted to the spot, Beck standing uneasily (hands stuffed inside his pockets), and Tori avoided even staring in her direction (feet precariously shuffling, while her hands are clenched to her arms wrapped around her body in protection.)

Beck is the first to react.

He determinedly slides across the floors and to her side, to reach across her body to press down on a red button. She assumes he alerts the nurses of her wake. Yet her eyes are stuck on her one true trepidation, who in turn is watching Beck with a definite waywardness—so close to ominous, yet lacking intensity. The look is fleeting and hidden within a second, and a sullen aurora raining over her.

"I'm sure the nurses will hate to have so many bodies in here. I'll get some fresh air while they do their job," Tori mutters, heels scuffing the tile. "Text me if you guys need anything."

She tries to call for the brunette, to apologize, but the lack of moisture in her mouth prevents her from doing so.

…

She had so deeply yearned to bring up the conversation that was occurring before she awoke, but before her mouth could form the words a group of concerned teens had poured into the room. Jade had to swallow the thick vowels and confirm that her left leg was fractured, and the stiches on the very far side of her head where her forehead and hairline met would indeed scar, she had of course broken a rib or two, and that her wrist was only sprained not broken. It irked her even more to notice that Beck had seemingly become one with the chair he was sitting in and had not uttered a single word since Tori had made a hasty exit. He looked stricken with guilt. She could do nothing even than to stare sulkily at the brunette who had come back with an armful of requested snacks, and who hadn't offered Jade another word since asking a measly "are you feeling okay?" and settling next to Andre and engaging in a tired conversation.

Then the nurses informed them that visiting hours were over, and everyone made a swift exit. Well except for Tori who offered a short explanation that her mother (who was flying back in from a business trip) had asked her to retrieve a few items from home.

And then Tori didn't hesitate to leave and Jade is too guilty and moonstruck to even halt the hasty retreat.

…

"Vega,"

The teen in question halts in stride.

"I know you're mad but come on it's been a week and you've hardly spoken five words to me that have nothing to do with what happened."

That is all the incentive that the brunette needs to swivel around, face incensed. Jade frowns, arms shuffling her crutches uneasily. It's her own bedroom they're in, yet suddenly she feels the eerie ambiance her statement instills.

"You were planning on being discreet about an accident Jade. Which need I remind you since you didn't have the decency to even have your helmet on during a storm? You could've—you asked _Beck_ to keep this from me Jade."

Having been very observant when it's come to the pair being in the same vicinity as one another; she's found that it's been a very tense between the two. It had confirmed the suspicion that Beck did still have feelings for her. Which was completely normal since they had been each other's first, but he would have moments where he looked at her like she was some monumental idealness for life.

Jade nods stiffly. At the time it didn't seem so idiotic to withhold the accident from the brunette, but to be fair she was still in a hallucinating daze that was derived from the high octane medicine she was on. Yet even then that didn't excuse anything. Not even when she had practically promised Tori that she would never leave on her motorcycle without having the protection of her helmet, and maybe that was, with an extent, where the teens anger directed from. Or rather this had more to do with the conversation she had with Beck. An affirmative was in order once the door was creaked open with a fluffy haired teen entering the room and Tori scoffs in agitation and folded her arms over one another.

Beck seemed to notice the heavy apprehension. He glances towards Tori minutely before settling his sights on Jade. He waves up the bag wafting a greasy scent about the room. Clearing his throat Beck pushes a hand through his hair.

"Did I walk in on something? Should I lea—"

"Actually you did. And yes you should leave." Jade bites out.

There's so much hostility in her tone—because he should have told her or at least talked to her if he still possessed any emotions even remotely romantic for her. His facial expression crumbles into one of hurt, and out of the corner of her eyes she can spot the faintest slip in the brunettes' frustration.

"Can you give us a minute Beck?" Tori ask softly; an underlying irritation forged in her tone.

He inclines his head stiffly averting his eyes to the ground. Tori fiercely cranes her attention to her once the door is firmly shut with a sealing click. Jade silently, in scrutiny, beckons the teen towards the bed with a short breath. It garners its purpose as the brunette slowly strides towards her, apathetically settling into the chair next to her bed. Even with the harsh lighting and begrudging furrow of eyebrows, Jade still believes that the human beside her radiates beauty.

"I know you're angrier than you're letting on—"

"Oh I am _beyond_ angry."

"Okay I get that," She grinds her teeth onto each other. "He was only doing what I asked him to. So if there's anyone you want to be so pissed off at then direct all of that anger towards me. Even if his hair does make him seem like a bit of a jackass he doesn't deserve being deprived of your voice. However irritating it is."

Possibly her lame sardonic humor was not welcome and partially the cause for the unimpressed marring the girls scrunched features; Jade dismisses the idea of any form of settling the tense atmosphere with inane diversions. Her eyes flickers around the room before settling on the task at hand, and she mutely relies on her mind to form any sentence that could mollify the sheer hurt nestled in those abnormally angry brown orbs. Her lips seal around the slew of words meant to ease her own anxiety, and attempt to lighten the mood with reduced sarcasm.

The indicative lurch in the teens throat should have given her all the validation due, but she merely falls blind to the warnings.

"You could have died Jade!" The tears spring without hesitation. "You weren't wearing a helmet. You easily got onto your motorcycle during one of the worst thunderstorms this year. And to top it all off you decided to venture out for a goddamn pack of cigarettes!"

The magnitude of frustration soaking the voice stunts her into a perplexed fit, because never had she had to bare witness to the force that is the youngest Vega when driven into a vexed temptation—there's an faint taunt pertaining to where the bulk of the anger is deriving from; she chalks it up to the sore pain drenched onto the brunettes face.

"Veg—"

"And your mom called me and asked if I could drop off a few things off at the hospital and look after you until she could schedule another flight. I didn't know what to think—I couldn't, until she explained how you're bike slide off the road and crashed into a tree. I mean have your seen your bike? It's totaled! Completely totaled! It's a miracle you aren't in critical condition—"

Her lips move, yet there are no words emitting from her mouth. Her eyebrows compress into a low worry once the liquid running down the teens cheeks do not halt, and she desperately wants to soothe the heaving chest and frenetic movements creating an airy panic about the brunette. Her feet nearly move towards the trembling girl, but instead her leg falls victim to the extensive strain she's put on it and she collapses onto the unmade bed behind her.

"Beck! Then I find out that you made him promise not to tell me or any of the others about this. God you're so selfish Jade! I can't—how could you—you're so selfish. You can't just do stupid things like that! You're not allowed to scare me like that. Not when I—"

And maybe it's the ache in her own chest that will not cease to exist while the brunette was so utterly torn, and so very terrified of what could have transpired. Whatever may be the cause, it has her mouth forming a meek whisper of the girls name in utter astonishment.

"I need you Jade! _I_ _need_ you. So you can't do stupid and dangerous things like that because I don't know who else is going to catch me when everything becomes too much." Tori forces the words through a harsh voice; a voice feebly clinging onto the statement.

Her arms move accordingly to clutch the slim frame thrust into her own; wrapped arm coming to wind around the quaking body, and maybe the dull ache in her leg cannot compare to the detrimental one fiercely announcing its presence within her chest until a hollow vibration beats tentatively. And she currently loathes the sheer level and ferocity of such tranquility that wreck her emotions, and near the end of her wits, her eyes string together to withhold the specs of liquid threatening to spill—because even with the sobbing brunette in her arms, hurt due to her inability to concede to the truth, she still feels so at peace.

So even after a solid ten minutes have past and she feels her grasp on the thin frame start to slip—her clutch holds true, and she deepens the embrace even more. Until their bodies are flush against one another, and nearly every ounce of her is touching the Tori, and breathes evenly when Tori's grasp holds true. She waits until the tears have subsided to bury her face into the teens shoulder harshly.

"I'm sorry," She curses the lump forming in her throat. "I'm fine. And I'm not going anywhere. I swear."

She hates that another wave of sobs trickle onto her, yet there's an almost unearthing emotion that travels through her veins, seeping into her marrow; it's only then that she truly comprehends the immeasurable extent to which she matters to Tori.

* * *

"What exactly are we gaining from this Jade?" Sinjin mutters quietly.

It's not particularly his malicious attempt to break the faux silence, but rather a question that seems to require tender care. One that is all too weary and asked with a dry curiosity. Despite the ever persistent irritation, she averts her eyes from the daunting scene, slips the sleek black binoculars off of her neck and places them softly onto the earthy ground. Her fingers carve a thin crescent scar into the palms of her hands, lines of red painting the wound, once she hears a familiar giggle.

"She said yes." Is her flat answer, voice wavering.

And it is not at all sufficient enough to satisfy his quelling willfulness to acquire some sense of truth, or maybe any inkling as to what kept her and Tori's dynamic function halted in previous months. So he waits in silence and watches her precariously.

"She didn't wait. Or maybe she couldn't. The fact is that she said yes," Jade chuckles woefully. "I mean she fucking said yes. And I was standing right there. Dammit."

Casually tucking his hands underneath her booted leg, Sinjin inclines his head, gently laying the heavy limb warped with weight onto his lap. He couldn't find the factual information that even excused the odd gesture of comfort. She did not meet his concerned brows, nor acknowledged the gesture.

"I literally watched him walk up to her. Charming grin and everything, tiny stuffed bear in his arms, bouquet of roses, and some stupid yet clever shirt that said 'I'd wove to for you to be mine. Be my Valentine?' Damn him. And when she blushed I was so close. So close to interrupting them—then she smiled and I froze. I fucking froze because I couldn't remember her smiling so honest all week."

She cannot momentarily define the surmountable ache pressuring the core of her chest. It was only followed with an insured sharp pain emitting from her mind. If any pain was all connected to her emotions, then surly the hurt was able to be backed with a claim. It was her assumption as to why they were in this odd predicament; watching the soul of her sorrows prance around the Hollywood home, Tori supporting a smile she had not witnessed in over four weeks. Prosperous laughter derived from only the depths of one's belly illuminating the ears of the pair outside and all of the half-Latinas fellow neighbors. Her keen eye could very well detect the smitten teen from a mile away—yet that very fact creates a sense of fear making her want to flea in (insert word)

"As much as I like watching Tori," He wavers' at Jade's solid glare. "But even I have to admit that she seems to be having a lot of fun with what's-his-face. Even though I could make her happier if I ever get the chance…Okay sorry. Not helping. Anyway she looks happy. Should we really be spying on her now?"

Jade continues on with a scowl for the comment, but another glance towards the household softens her contours. She peers at the brunette who in turn is attempting to conceal her obvious admiration for the boy sitting, far too close for Jade to be at ease with, while the black haired male continues to watch the screen with a knowing grin. That settles the debate of should she stay or rather begin her solemn trek home.

Inclining her head with resolution, Jade crouches enough to get her uninjured leg underneath her and lift into a wobbly stance. Gesturing—in silence—for the curly haired boy to hand over her crutches, she mumbles a mute thanks. Sinjin eyes the saddened girl momentarily before flickering towards the darkened house. Carelessly letting his shoulders rise and fall voluntarily; he casually plans his escape route.

"Fine. And I guess since you sort of helped me tonight I'll give you a ride home. What do—Shit!"

Hands firmly catching her body before she could possibly plant an indent of herself into the ground. She screams in a pain and an almost vexation once her peripherals seek out the lanky teen scrambling away. She had not been able to save her casted leg from swiveling an inch too far out of its resting place. Seething only after the all too quick footsteps follow the sudden click of the sliding patio doors continue their pathway towards her.

"Who's out here…Sinjin?" Tori utters stupidly at the mop haired form scurrying over the fence.

"Long live Jori!" Sinjin yells in response.

Concealing her grunt only for a single beat of silence from the half-Latina, Jade desperately pleads for the teen's curious intuition to be evasive for this situation; she hears soft footsteps gaining in on her position. The very audible announces the teen's arrival. She does not dare to reveal her eyes to the probable chance of warm irises drenched with curiosity, and a leering dismay.

"Jade? Are you okay? What the hell are you doing here?" Tori questions worriedly.

Leveling a steely scowl towards the family shrubs, Jade stealthily, with a grievance, evades the hand reaching out in attempt to abate her pain. A breathy grunt later results in the onyx-haired teen striving for a leverage to aid her in standing. It does not bode well with the brunette evidently as a tanned hand promptly vetoes all movement, as the other slithers under her chin to guide her eyes towards a stony contrition.

"You're sitting in pain in my backyard. You _are_ going to listen to me and do as I say because we aren't even going to broach the evident reason as to why you are in this predicament," Her assurance is a momentary affair. "Not at the moment. But we are going to talk about this Jade."

…

He leaves with a weary smile, yet an all too sincere gleam ignites a detrimental fire in the crinkles of his toffee dark eyes—Jade is more than convinced that this was directed towards her most inner demons. Gabriel (Tori utters his name) is someone Jade can avidly protest is the exact replica, personality wise, as the brunette who is bidding him farewell with an almost echoing yearning. That fact spurs on her already in process list pertaining to why the pair would not work during the long-term, and the practical drab that would become of their relationship. Then the 'empathetic' façade is erased with the swift peck he places onto the wonder-faced brunette. Her nails curl into her palms once more. His faux aurora evaporates into the thin skies as his eyes cast a certain ruthless glare underneath the porch lights before the door is closed softly. She can do nothing to dwindle the searing ache amplifying with the tiny smile of the half-Latina that diminish with a peer towards her.

Her breathing increases in a single breath and as she heaves to control it, she attempts to conceal her heavy eyelids rapidly shutting down the prospect of tears. Tori must notice the apparent switch in mood and instantaneously settles across from the Goth.

"Can I go?" Jade clenches her jaw into one force. "Or do have I sit through this pointless conversation about what we both know I was clearly doing?"

There's a certain shudder that blows over the pair, each stunned by the ill-mannered frisk of emotions. It allows the brunette to shoulder the extent of the situation, and it hurts.

"The opportunity has been there. You didn't take it."

A silence erupts —neither can describe the dire statement. There was an approximating savagery within the sentence, and Jade has the absolute temptation to make a hasty retreat. It feels all too resolved; a moment that will define their dynamic. Yet her chest is far too heavy in weariness to care for the manifestations of her leaving it at just that. She averts her eyes to withdraw her present pain, and she can practically feel the sorrow emitting from the brunette.

"Well then," Jade croaks out lowly. "It seems that there isn't much to discuss."

"Jade…"

Her body trembles with the temptation of movement.

"I—I waited. He was there and he had a shadow. I thought that maybe the shadow would speak up and interrupt. But nothing happened and he asked me out. Something changed and there wasn't any resistance between me and him. He's not who I need—who I want."

Jade lets her lips upturn wistfully; face scrunching somberly.

"But he can make you happy. And maybe eventually he can be what you need. Time can change so much Vega."

An exponential lever is pulled, because the brunette's facial expression takes a drastic turn from a verified pain, to a certified vexation, to an utter devastation.

"Then I think we're done here." Tori mutters before standing. "Do you need help?"

Jade declines the offer even with knowing that the teen is not glancing towards her direction. She eases her crutches underneath herself; lips parting in vain.

She spares not one glance after the brunette gently maneuvers out of her way. Throat too dry and eyes painfully heavy, Jade lets the door shut firmly behind her.

…

She has no thirst for a witty revenge on Sinjin; neither do her injuries allow it. So in replacement her body leans heavily against the locker next to her own, muscles strained along with her lengthy weekend. There's a rambunctious conversation shrouding the four settled before her that she takes no initiative to participate in.

Only when a youthful face enters her view from around the corner does her stance commence its guarded position—pair of warm dark brown orbs meet her own, and sticks to her only. Andre shifts his attention to the brunette who emits an aurora of tranquility. The afterthought creates an anxiety with a depth of thousands within her. The deprivation of those grounding irises has her retaining the eye contact. A question lets the eyes stray from her hopeful own, before they are once again thrust into an abyss of sincerity.

"He's everything I dreamed of."Jade frowns. "But I can't force something that is so rare to come by. He's just not someone I haven't ever known I wanted to dream of."

The words cling to the air without much announcement, but with a vital finality. Jade refrains from letting the relief shadow her concern—because she was certain this was far out of reach for the both of them, yet everything still felt so near suffocation.

* * *

"You have a little brother?"

Hitched brow crinkling the middle of her forehead in a daze that her concentration had been shattered with an inquisitive question that lacked in the subtle invasiveness that routinely accompanied the voice—the one that forebode a certain trouble in her near future. Her intruder decided to invade her personal space by settling next to her crossed legged; as though the information was not enough, and she has to remain elusive to the sheer evidence of her astonishment due to the girls arrival; and the actuality of an their encounter.

She sucks in the formidable uneasiness seeping into her veins at the sudden desire for their interaction. Jade anxiously shuts the laptop nestled in her lap—uncaring for the probability of all her progression in her report; she decisively releases a hallowed breath. For a single moment she almost believes this interaction is an illusion a deceptive trickery of her mind for all of the shameless terror she's caused to the school—she realizes how utterly foolish she is in her belief.

"I think I've known that for the past two years." Jade replies; a hidden curiosity lacing the sarcastic undertone.

The saucy response merely garners a heckled silence. It does not bode well with her either when a flicker of brown orbs tinker with the balance of hurt and complete astonishment. Clearing the guilt from her throat with an apprehensive breath, Jade averts her eyes towards the decorated lockers located before them.

"Look, Vega he was the production of my father's infidelity to his second wife. I didn't even find out until the mistress was about seven months along and even then I've only just recently been able to see the kid. It's nothing you should even concern yourself with."

Her voice trickles beyond resentment, while her hands clench around the rattling truth pertaining to the absolute varlet her father is—a stoic man that decided to commit adultery with a woman with already a child of her own: who despite with acquiring the information on the financially burdened woman, had decided not to initially conform to his own fault. Having been discreet about the entire ordeal until her step-mother had become an attentive sleuth and had informed her mother and herself of the truth behind a sudden divorce. There was only a meeting between her little brother and herself was due to the investigating she had to do on her own, which had proven to be fruitful once her father had found about the secretive outings she would set up every other week.

She watches the brows of the girl furrow and crumble, Jade withholds the inevitable delicate smile that will appear once there is an empathetic sincerity shined towards her. She does not expect the usual question that is associated with humans only genuinely caring for an evasive escape from an uneasy sorrow—of course she does not expect that from the all too humbly authentic teen.

"Is he…What's he like."

Of course Tori had to be predictably peculiar.

It's a wonderfully loaded question that warms her stomach with a geeky appreciation.

"He's so damn annoying," Jade smiles softly. "But he's smart…sometimes too smart for his own good, and always so happy. Even with having an asshole of a father the kid is always so fucking obnoxiously optimistic. He's—innocent. He almost reminds me of someone else." She finishes pointedly.

An apparition of a smile dances across entertained lips. She receives a cliché shoulder bump and a bashful chuckle.

"He sounds like he knows how to enjoy life. Even at two years old he's already light years ahead of you in the positive department. Does this pessimistic attitude happen to only be inherited by rebellious teenage girls?"

Rolling her eyes in great fun, Jade allows a miraculous grin to from on her lips.

"Actually it's only a trait that appears with being raised by a stoic bastard and an overbearing perfectionist. I mean the step-dad in the middle of all this isn't so bad, maybe having him around for so long has made me a bit vulnerable to optimistic idiots." Jade banters lowly.

"And how are you even allowed into this school?" There's a playful humor that's mindful of the vulnerability of the conversations family revelations.

"Well Vega. I'm sure if an obnoxiously untalented and egotistical teenage girl obsessed with boys was mistakenly admitted. Then the school would have to of course make amends with their mistake and allow the students here to enjoy my cynical artistry." Jade jokes with an attributing smirk.

The meticulous flick of the brunette's wrist seek to cover her own hands tinkering with the neglected laptop; Jade somberly pardons the self-preservation tactic that pleads with her to avert her attention from the attentive peer of the invasive brown orbs rebuffing any and all validity to discard the momentary veer off script. A combative war becomes roused within the calming steer towards comfort. It's a dance they have not entertained since their dispute in the hospital. It had her minutely believing that they would continue to maneuver around one another with a distance that grew with a devilish intent. Or maybe this diminishes down on its own accord and this unbecoming departure was meant to establish completely on its own. Her mind had been truly on a short trek of reminding her pathetic that the connection that the pair had was merely a deception of her own emotions evilly tricking her mind.

Jade concedes to misinterpreting their short lived—however pitiful—display of space. It amuses her exactly how quick they were to demolish whatever barrier that was settled between them, or rather the absolute disparity of the brunette's insecurities.

"He'd probably fall in love with you," Jade murmurs fondly; for whom she cannot quite distinguish. "I mean he's such a dork and you are too…and the two of you together would be absolutely—"

She refrains from creating even more of an awkward mess of her rambling, and to her true horror the brunette chuckles airily at the string of nerves spewing from her mouth.

"I get it Jade. We would be a completely platonic match made in heaven. I would love to meet him someday."

And she decides then that she would not mind the pair meeting one another someday, but that could be due to the very smile that graces her companion's lips. After a seconds pass Jade shakily withdraws from the tiny moment of their infamous dynamic and cursedly shambles into a stance. She's a tad bit out of breath, but she does not allow the brunette to notice the physical vulnerability. She swaddles up her neglected items and shoves them into her gears of war bag, all the while avoiding the remorseful eyes observing her every move. Jade lets out a disconcerting grunt in regards to the extensive movements, but offers a hand towards the still stoic still teen.

"And I am sure he'd be ecstatic to meet you. For the time being it's lunch and were already ten minutes late, and I don't want your little fan club sending out a damn swat team because their little princess has been missing for so long."

Tori foregoes the offered assistance and maneuvers into a stance. Her eyelids slide open once more only to try and blink away the astonishment at the quick hands that grasp her bag, and settle her crutches onto the lockers left of them.

"I like it," Tori utters ten steps into their trek, Jade tilts her head, indicating for the brunette to continue. "Learning new things about you I mean."

"And would you like to elaborate why? If anything I'm your cliche resident greaser who so badly wants to confine in her self induce isolation."

Astonishment adorns her features once low laughter meets her ears, and then there's an even more lighter shove to her shoulder that has her feet faltering in step. Tori merely peers below slender eyelashes, irises instantly watching her attentively.

"You're not so much of a closed book as you were last year, but even then you weren't ever really all that secretive. If anyone wanted to solve the mystery that presents itself in you... all they ever really had to do is look for the signs. You want everyone to believe that you're a ruthless rose that has all the spikes to defend itself, but really you _want_ to be that person. Instead you leave a trail of breadcrumbs in order for anyone who bothers to notice them or rather anyone who sticks around long enough to put two and two together."

And with a meek blink, and a sudden clear of her throat to part with the unadulterated wonderment, she inclines her head mutely. Mind altering itself to validate the absurdity that settles within the allusion hidden beneath the statement; spoken with such a conviction that is none too distracted by the entirety of her evasive prowess.

"Well then," Her body continues to function properly enough to where they embark on their journey to the asphalt café. "I guess you understand me to some extent."

The reply is a short hum of validation, and she can do nothing more than observe as a warm and certain smile form on soft lips.

* * *

 ** _Been a very long time...I haven't updated any of my old stories in a while, but here it is atlas. We're getting down to the finale words...And they aren't any closer to talking about their serious issues. They're kinda running in circles huh?_**

 ** _Write Ya Later ;)_**


	10. Chapter 10

_**So this happened, And...There is bound to be some grammar mishaps.**_

* * *

 _ **Night Changes: Admissions**_

"Jade—Jade!"

She would commend the exceptional ability to never allow mundane occurrences to startle her. Maybe it was the absolution of her dreary child-hood that had made her an exception to the universe and all its suave deceit. Or truly her nimble evasion towards anything remotely near the point to perturb her were among the stars and all their ability to evade the darkness that never plagued them despite being swaddled in the cold bleakness. Be it either way one can excuse her and her destiny to be one that may be hard to alarm, destiny may have its way with her sometime.

And it does have its filthy way with her; amidst her conversation with Andre. It comes in an anatomy of an: optimistic, euphoric, and lively teen—or rather she should not be astonished by the revelation. Yet the radiant shouts are the sole purpose for the distinctive anticipation forming in the pit of her stomach, however mundane that trepidation truly is.

Her eyebrows hardly have a millisecond to dip low with perplexity, as her leg maneuvers frantically towards the source of all the commotion, eyes harshly unable to keep pace with the sudden blur of brown tresses and discarded bag—Jade startles at the armful of buoyancy. Hardly able to catch the excited bundle that is Tori Vega (if the peaceful laughter is any indication.) Jade stumbles into an unsteady back-peddle as the quaking giddiness continues to wrap seamlessly against her body. Jade is simply perturbed that she's even able to find mutual ground with gravity upon the newfound body weight. Her face is placed directly in the line of fire—her cheeks bloom with a certain hue of crimson once she notices the distinctive plush of breast, and however mortified she is, she's being held captive by a pair of arms encased around her head. Jade sputters incomprehensible protest, but the flailing monkey in her arms merely holds on for dear life.

(She's profoundly in debt to dates timing. Who knows whether or not her healing leg would have withstood the brutal force if she had not finished physical therapy two weeks prior.)

"She needs to breathe Tori!" The bewildered shout comes from Andre, and Jade groans in muffled agreement.

And a draft of air comes with her momentarily inhaling as much oxygen as she's capable of. Her cheeks are a flush of red with embarrassment and deprivation. Her comedic moment of her life soaring across her eyes is interrupted by her curiosity and mild frustration at the squeals emitting from her attacker.

"I did it Dre! It—oh my— _En mi Dios_ —I can't—"

It's spoken in a flurry of inscrutable excitement, and Jade still flushed and all is at the end of her wits.

"Vega will you tell us what the hell you're talking about," Jade decisively cuts in.

She really should expect the squeal she gets in response. And she really should expect the sudden exhilaration of that irksome warmth that blooms upon the cheesy smile the brunette throws her way.

"Julliard. I got in!"

At the revelation comes a silence, however stunned, a perturbed silence nonetheless.

Jade frowns: then smiles, then her face contorts into confusion, and then suddenly the announcement dawns on her in a purely proud manner. Sill the shock cannot pass.

"You—wha..." Jade stutters vocally and with a blink.

Her stunted words do not seem to affect Tori one bit. It seems to spur the teen on even more. To which the brunette begins to bounce excitedly.

"Julliard Jade! I got accepted into Julliard!"

And the repeated statement does not fall def to the teens ears.

All she can offer the exuberant teen is a stifled blink, and a stupid step back from the brunette hopping vertically with so much energy that she believes the floor intends to cave underneath the excitement. Before Jade can attempt another startled reply, Andre is already lifting Tori into a massive embrace and an enthusiasm that may even be able to rival the doll he's wildly spinning. The manner in which her mind cannot fathom any word, nor direct her limbs to celebrate with the pair, is nearly comparable to a dreamlike unconsciousness. Certainly, the announcement the dreaded haired boy shouts into the halls—or the resounding cheers and ovation in commendation—does not help her break the barrier. She sees Cat and Robbie join in on the avid rave; then Beck comes and stands to her left and merely eyes the clamor in curiosity and perplexity.

Maybe it is the way that Tori plows into Beck with a perpetual clinch that reminds her of the moment the pair had celebrated the brunette attain her spot in the Platinum Music Awards—that vile creature seething to claw out her chest never truly did vanish. Or maybe it is the fact that the two have not even been able to maintain a full conversation since her accident; at the very least even fake pleasantries. That very well may be the pelt that shatters her spell. Yet that does not garner the attention of the brunette still cuddled into a confounded Beck.

"Holy shit." Maybe her addled mind was not entirely clear.

It does not express the entirety of her awe; not in the proper manner. And before her mind can create a more developed reaction to the admittance a bell resounds it's deterrent to the lively halls. The inconvenience did not deter her inner turmoil.

(Rather it was the moment in which her extended hand merely captures the wind of the brunette as Andre stealthily intervenes her intentions and leads the teen to class. Maybe the trepidation and scene of Tori vibrantly walking further from her is the perpetrators.)

Or maybe—if her memory is kind to her, she can identify the moment as the one of which that correlates to the one that many deem as the time frame in which they felt the one they deemed dear slip from their hold. It was trivial, yet it exposed even more piddling inquiries. She was once more stifled. In the silence of the desolate halls she could only stand near her locker, eyes wide, pupils dilated, lips parted, breath completely stolen; alone and in quandary.

Her chest felt inevitably heavy. The pain steadily elevated.

...

(" _I didn't know you had this much talent in you Vega._ " She had muttered, easily low and heartfelt, into the ear of the ' _silently_ ' crying teen, swathed within a competitive embrace—both daring the other to relinquish their fierce hold. And it was the reluctance of will that pestered her into removing her arms from their position on the brunette's hips, but the desperate weariness in Tori's hesitation to let her go made her hands deftly slide down slim shoulders and clasp their hands together. Even despite the absolute silence about the room, and all eyes heavily resting on them, Jade smiled. She had too. Only because doe brown eyes were staring at her wondrously, earnestly supplicate. Irises stained with painted flecks of adoration and stare very fond in its most simple form. She had too.

Because this beautiful individual before her achieved _it all_. Jade could not dare to defy the pair of lips placed in delicacy, surly, and still quivering in mild exhilaration of the entirety of the celebration.)

Now the wind swept across her cheeks wonderfully: the tender drone of the pool splayed beyond her, scented chlorine trickling into the air, the beautiful radiance of the moon overhead while the stars kindly touched every darkened crevice space had to offer; she finds peace in this moment. Her tumultuous mind concerned about her tentative future and the pending issues she had with the currently rapturous teen, or maybe if her did not precede in an oddly manner then she would admit that fear rather than issue; embarking in a romantic relation.

On this celebrative nightfall, she had come to fathom herself, if not wholly, then admittedly more than previously comprehended. Tori—exuberant, innocently beautiful, and placidly pertinacious—did not intend to become her discovery. One that was rather intent to motivate a sense of urgent greatness in every form conceivable, but did not purposefully create this heavy emotion operational in her every vein. That unearthed worth had been activated. She was more willing to allow one into her life, still reluctant, yet willful. Her frustrations were more mellow in the company of her inspiration, more disastrous, but even controlled. Her capacity to care was fated upon the second she had begun to protect every fiber that made _Victoria Vega_. Often, she waited in trepidation on that care. And she did just that. Waited and lived in an anxious manner. She delved into that quaking fear dubiously.

Only currently she was entirely conscious.

Tori was, better yet, _is_ a revelation. Dared to stealthily force her to inquire about more than the present and less than the future, but still influencing her to question on where she was exactly living off of. The present or the tremulous future. Both entirely centered around the one human that has only ever managed to have her breathing in anxiety. Soft and welcomed anxiety that decides on whether she can or will have the ability to maintain this ' _whatever'_ they had. Of which she knew exactly what _this_ is. A hesitance of her own. Possibly a passive aggressive war built upon inactivity and silence. Their inability to create rather than tread amid dreary waters. Tori makes her concede to taunts of her mind, while sacrificing her the allotted time to decide whether or not that future is theirs.

If that fury of memories anticipated deserves to be handled by them both.

The click of the door affects her heavily. A few unhurried, certain, almost dreamy footfalls remind her of the little time she has left, of all the moments that tend to have been in vain. She does not permit her eyes the rest they need from attentively observing the stars inquisitively when a shoulder knocks into her own clumsily, neither when the bump last much longer than necessary, before the arm is removed from her space, entirely. She can still feel the body heat.

Actually, she can feel that sure uplift of her visitor's lips.

It's silence between them—something that seems to always plague their interactions. This is a pleasant moment instead of the usual expectancy.

"You've been out here awhile."

While the inquiry isn't intrusive or wistful, it certainly is warm.

It's just that the fact has her lips curving and her body turning around so she can lean easily on the wooden rail. She can hear the laughter from inside and a fondness creeps into her chest at the vision of friends whom she deems family and the low, maybe stifled, but trying conversation between two divorced parents. Divorced and a bitter end to their marriage, but they held this honest respect for their children and _wanted_ to be on better terms in order for that reverence to be intact.

"I knew if you wanted my company. Then you would find me eventually."

Jade watches the movements from her peripherals, instinctively resting her hands atop the wooden surface so that the brunette may lean into her more comfortably. They don't speak when her arm slithers over to pull a willing body closer. In fact, they remain as such once Tori clasp both of her hands to seal the circle her arms have made around the goths waist.

They sort of relish in the moment where _this_ is certain and oddly amiable. While their shoulders may be heavy, they have a second of tranquility from their hectic minds.

"Your company isn't as bad as everyone else makes it out to be." Tori teases softly.

Jade does not have to look in order to picture the habitual crinkle appearing adorably on the girl's nose.

"I think that maybe your opinion isn't exactly unbiased." Her timbre is equally as cordial.

(Some inane deception absurdly slithers into her mind. That indeed this is an intimate moment, above one that may be perceived as just friendly—but she could value this and its superiority as a tender time between them. Only the truth is far too candid. This was a vulnerable, fickle, time between them. One that did not have the sufficient simplicity to prevail under the vitality of its intricate creation.)

Inevitably the vile entertainment of the thought has her ruefully luring Tori closer into her; the contented breath from the teen tells her the action is not minded one bit.

"Can you blame me," Her body quivers with the sound laughter. "You are kind of a mystery. A little cynical, but still, you're just so hard to figure out. But it's fun to try and decode your mind."

Then they're both in a fit of laughter at the absurdity of the comment, lips parted, diaphragm inflating and deflating, and just effortless. Her chest is still in a soft rumble once she has the capability to reply. Only she extends her laughter until it's a childish chuckle, and then fades into the air—until silence comes. Easy: warm, airy and trickling into her veins so profoundly deliberate it calms her.

"The letter came three days before I opened it."

The admission startles her.

"I wanted to open it but the first day I couldn't stop shaking. Then the next day I figured I wanted to wait and have someone," Tori flinches and Jade inclines her head. "Uh, someone to open it with me. I really wanted to do it with everyone there but—then I remembered Beck and I aren't exactly on speaking terms and Robbie was out of town. And then I had to go with Cat to take her brother parrot to the vet. So, on the third day I just sort of ripped it open in the bathroom."

Jade smiles at the admittance, because it's such a particular sequence that completely makes sense because it's Tori. Most of all her mind counters the tale with the vision of the letter in the hands of a lost brunette desperately seeking the proper action to take.

"And then you stood up from your seat on the toilet and let out a sound I am sure irritated the others in the bathroom. After that you proceeded to run around the entire school like a complete lunatic—"

The hard elbow to her ribs does nothing to derail her entertained mood; the pout spurs it to further in radiance.

"I was looking for you jerk."

The detail was one already preconceived by her.

(Still the warmth thrives in such a fond manner. Her heart, with its tendency to flutter, simply stays intact. It's merely the fury of the emotion that kindly overcomes her. So tender and mundane.)

Internally she can feel the heat affectionally active, but once that same warmth slithers up her neck and onto her face, she turns away from the brunette. It's not embarrassment. It is never that plain when the other teen is involved. She would define it more as impertinent relevance. A traitorous oddity that prevails more often than her favor.

"You should have waited. That, is, something you should have told your family first." Jade mumbles awkwardly.

She's mentally desirous when the brunette eases from their position to stand ahead of her; peculiarly antsy when arms come to sidle around her middle, and she is lead astray when a head settles onto her chest. For a muddled moment, her hands are limp at her sides. There is this torrent wave akin to everything delicate—humanly affectionate, it daftly devastates her. And now her heart feels far too heavy, veins much too torrid. She has every intention to shove the source. Only her body reacts contrary to her brain and curls around the shoulders she meant to drive away.

(Chin resting atop the soft tresses: a deliberate pull into her, tremulous exhalation, fluttered eyelashes, contracted hold, florid faced, vulnerability in all its calamity.)

"You've been here for me this entire year. And we're in complicated dilemma because _this_ , whatever we feel for each other won't simply vanish and it's causing so much—"

Jade pulls the teen ridiculously closer, hands bunching the fabric of her sweater together.

"We'll," She settles for a flimsy reply. "You deserve this chance. Julliard will be so much better for you. You earned this Tori."

 _("New York will be so much better for you, because I don't think I can ever be as good for you here." She wants to say._ )

Opportunity wasted—It's her weakness, and it's always been there. She believes it reveals so much.

* * *

Later; in the captivity of her backyard, house eerily silent, she relays her inability free. Or dives into the pool, entirely clothed, and screams; waits until her lungs plead for air and remains only once she's clawing at the surface, perilously. Devouring the liberation to breath avidly—desperately wanting her insides to implode in favor that the pain will trickle into her mind, and somehow saturate it until she may no longer feel this hurt. She duplicates the pain four times over. She finds that it's still not equivalent to the ache deep in her heart. So instead she stoically drifts across the pool, an ominous silence about the darkened skies.

Her laptop lays atop her bed, open, the screen bleak for over four days—she think that maybe she should have told her. Maybe then it would have done more to settle all the melodramatic issues between them. She _should have_ told Tori. Only then her mind flicks towards the admittance letter from UCLA.

"Dear Jade West," It's either tears or the chlorine falling into her eyes. "You fucking got into the Tisch School of the Arts. What are you going to do? A: Accept the fact that you're in love with the one you swore off three or so years ago. Or B: Be the shithead you are and break both your hearts and never tell her you even applied to your dream school." It's such a bitter affair that.

And ironically she's the source of her own misery.

* * *

 _ **There's two chapters left, or maybe one. It depends on if I want to shove everything into one. They're still not getting any better, but Tori seems like she's really embracing whatever it is they have, or at least she's acknowledging it. Maybe she'll do something about it?**_

 _ **Write Ya Later ;)**_


End file.
